Identification and expression profiles of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella tlr7 in responses to double-stranded RNA and virus infection

The toll-like receptor 7 (tlr7) gene was identified and characterized from grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella (designated as citlr7), and the messenger (m)RNA expression profiles were examined in vivo and in vitro. The citlr7 genomic sequence consists of 4276 nucleotides (nts), including two exons and one intron. The full length of citlr7 complementary (c)DNA sequence is 3354 nts with the longest open reading frame (ORF) of 3156 nts encoding a peptide of 1051 amino acids. citlr7 mRNA expression was high in spleen, skin and heart, and low in hepatopancreas, muscle, head kidney and trunk kidney in healthy fish. The expression of citlr7 was rapidly and significantly up-regulated at 6 h after grass carp reovirus (GCRV) injection (72·91 fold, P < 0·05), and recovered to the original level at 24 h post-injection in the spleen. The citlr7 transcript was rapidly and significantly down-regulated at the 6 h time point (0·32 fold, P < 0·05) and retrieved the normal level at 72 h post-injection in the hepatopancreas. The citlr7 transcripts were rapidly and significantly inhibited at 2 h post-GCRV infection in the C. idella kidney (CIK) cell line (0·62 fold, P < 0·05), and were rapidly and significantly elevated by the stimulation of the synthetic double-stranded RNA polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid sodium salt [poly(I:C)] in CIK in a dose and time-dependent manner (P < 0·05). The results imply that citlr7 is involved in the responses to double-stranded RNA and virus infection.

Anti-cancer activities of tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate in breast cancer patients under radiotherapy

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that administration of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol present in abundance in widely consumed tea, inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis in breast cancer patients. EGCG in 400 mg capsules was orally administered three times daily to breast cancer patients undergoing treatment with radiotherapy. Parameters related to cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis were analyzed while blood samples were collected at different time points to determine efficacy of the EGCG treatment. Compared to patients who received radiotherapy alone, those given radiotherapy plus EGCG for an extended time period (two to eight weeks) showed significantly lower serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and reduced activation of metalloproteinase-9 and metalloproteinase-2 (MMP9/MMP2). Addition of sera obtained from patients treated with combination of radiotherapy and EGCG feeding for 2-8 weeks to in vitro cultures of highly-metastatic human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells resulted in the following significant changes: (1) suppression of cell proliferation and invasion; (2) arrest of cell cycles at the G0/G1 phase; (3) reduction of activation of MMP9/MMP2, expressions of Bcl-2/Bax, c-Met receptor, NF-κB, and the phosphorylation of Akt. MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to 5-10 µM EGCG also showed significant augmentation of the apoptosis inducing effects of γ-radiation, concomitant with reduced NF-κB protein level and AKT phosphorylation. These results provide hitherto unreported evidence that EGCG potentiated efficacy of radiotherapy in breast cancer patients, and raise the possibility that this tea polyphenol has potential to be a therapeutic adjuvant against human metastatic breast cancer.

Potential treatment of hypoparathyroidism with recombinant plasmids encoding preproparathyroid hormone

Hypoparathyroidism cannot be cured by oral or intravenous calcium supplements. Using molecular biology techniques to induce the production of PTH is an ideal option to treat hypoparathyroidism. In this study, we established a recombinant plasmid encoding a mutant preproPTH with a skeletal muscle creatine kinase promoter (pCKM-mPTH). The sequence of the chimeric pCKM-mPTH gene was fully consistent with the DNA sequence reported previously and the site-directed mutagenesis was completed. Overlapping and nested PCR showed that PTH was highly expressed in and secreted from skeletal muscle cells transfected with the pCKM-mPTH plasmid: the PTH concentration in the culture medium 24 h after transfection was 26.37 pg/l. In the rat hypoparathyroidism model, serum PTH level significantly increased after injection with the pCKM-mPTH plasmid, compared with control groups (p<0.01). The effect lasted for about 30 days. Our results indicated that the recombinant mutant pCKM-mPTH plasmid was successfully constructed and was highly expressed in skeletal muscle cells. In vivo, the plasmid was introduced successfully into rat muscles and could express PTH for a decent period of time.

An exploratory analysis of dynamic change of metabolic syndrome in relation to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in a chinese cohort

BACKGROUND

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is the syndrome closely related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Few prospective studies have compared the impact of dynamic changes of MS on the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

METHODS

Overall, 3461 subjects were recruited from a cohort study on Prevention of Multiple Metabolic disorders and MS in Jiangsu of China (PMMJS) with a follow up of 3.8 years. The associations between the dynamic changes (Difference, the value at first follow-up subtract the value at baseline) of MS, component numbers, components and relative risk (RR) of CVD were analyzed by using Cox regression model.

RESULTS

The total incidence standardized rate of CVD was 2.58%,and the incidence standardized rates of CVD in MS-/follow-up MS-,baseline MS-/follow-up MS+, baseline MS+/follow-up MS- and baseline MS+/follow-up groups were 2.05%,5.01%,1.65% and 4.39% separately. After adjustment confounding factors Difference in FPG, BP and TG have significantly effects on the incidence of CVD.

CONCLUSION

Difference of MS component numbers had the prediction ability of CVD, but MS groups based on baseline and first follow-up MS and/or non-MS had not. In Chinese, the dynamic change of MS component numbers was a useful predict factor for CVD.

Expression of c-Myc and Fas correlates with perineural invasion of pancreatic cancer

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) and perineural invasion (PNI) are regarded as two important prognostic factors in pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to identify the LNM-associated and PNI-associated markers in pancreatic cancer. We have constructed a formalin-fixed paraffin embedded pancreatic tissue microarrays containing 324 cylindrical tissue cores of human pancreatic cancer and its paracancerous nonmalignant pancreatic specimens (NMPs) from 162 patients. Among those patients, there were 83 of 162 with PNI, and 65 of 162 with LNM. The protein products of 2 genes encompassing a variety of functional classes, such as oncogenes (c-Myc), apoptosis (Fas), were analyzed by immunohistochemistry on the tissue microarray. There was marked increase in cancer tissues cytoplasmic c-Myc expression level in pancreatic cancer compared with the NMPs (P < 0.0001). Additionally, the expression level of c-Myc was also significant increase in pancreatic cancer with PNI compared with cancer without PNI (P < 0.01). In contrast, cytoplasmic Fas, low expressed in pancreatic cancer (P < 0.0001) was negatively correlated with PNI (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the c-Myc expression in the cancer tissues cytoplasm acted as a potential and independently predictive factor for PNI. However, there were no significant association between the expression of these two genes and LNM (P > 0.05). This study for the first time described expression levels of c-Myc and Fas played an important role in PNI of pancreatic cancer. Combined detection can be used as predictive factors, especially c-Myc.

ERCC1 C118T associates with response to FOLFOX4 chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients in Han Chinese

BACKGROUND

Genetic variations influence treatment outcomes in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Detection of pharmacogenetic markers associated with treatment response may enable doctor to plan more precise and effective treatment tailoring to individual cancer patients.

METHODS

A novel oligonucleotide microarray was developed to genotype 13 variations (DPYD*2, DPYD*5, DPYD*9, TYMS 6 bp Ins/Del, UGT1A1*6, UGT1A1*27, UGT1A1*28, GSTP1 Ile105Val, XRCC1 Arg399Gln, MTHFR C677T, MDR1 C3435T/A, MDR1 G2677A/T and ERCC1 C118T). The accuracy of genotypes obtained by microarray was assessed by independent sequencing. 73 patients first diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) were treated with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy.

RESULTS

All genotypes were successfully called by microarray, and were consistent with those identified by independent sequencing except two TYMS 6 bp Ins/Del genotypes. Patients with CT or TT genotype exhibited a higher probability of response to treatment than those with CC genotype. No other SNP was found to be associated with treatment response. Furthermore, these SNPs showed no associations with gastrointestinal, hematological or neurological toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

ERCC1 C118T may be a predictive marker of treatment response to 5-FU/platinum chemotherapy for CRC. The microarray can significantly facilitate the process of detecting genetic variations and may help doctor plan more effective medication for individual cancer patient.

Integration genetic linkage map construction and several potential QTLs mapping of Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis) based on three types of molecular markers

In this study, totally 54 selected polymorphic SSR loci of Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis), in addition with the previous linkage map of AFLP and RAPD markers, were used in consolidated linkage maps that composed of SSR, AFLP and RAPD markers of female and male construction, respectively. The female linkage map contained 236 segregating markers, which were linked in 44 linkage groups, and the genome coverage was 63.98%. The male linkage map contained 255 segregating markers, which were linked in 50 linkage groups, covering 63.40% of F. chinensis genome. There were nine economically important traits and phenotype characters of F. chinensis were involved in QTL mapping using multiple-QTL mapping strategy. Five potential QTLs associated with standard length (q-standardl-01), with cephalothorax length (q-cephal-01), with cephaloghorax width (q-cephaw-01), with the first segment length (q-firsel-01) and with anti-WSSV (q-antiWSSV-01) were detected on female LG1 and male LG44 respectively with LOD> 2.5. The QTL q-firsel-01 was at 73.603 cM of female LG1. Q-antiWSSV-01 was at 0 cM of male LG44. The variance explained of these five QTLs was from 19.7-33.5% and additive value was from -15.9175 to 7.3675. The closest markers to these QTL were all SSR, which suggested SSR marker was superior to AFLP and RAPD in the QTL mapping.

HIV-related high-risk behaviors among Chinese migrant construction laborers in Nantong, Jiangsu

BACKGROUND

HIV transmission in rural areas of China is being fueled in part by migrant workers who acquire HIV outside of their hometowns. Recent surveillance statistics indicate that HIV prevalence among returning migrants has increased significantly.

METHODS

We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study to assess HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors among migrant returnees in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, one of the largest exporters of migrant laborers.

RESULTS

A total of 1625 subjects were enrolled with a response rate of 89%. All participants were male and of the majority Han ethnicity. The mean age was 39.0 years (SD = 6.7; range: 18 to 63), and most had a stable partner (N = 1533, 94.3%). Most correctly identified the major modes of HIV transmission (68.9%-82.0%), but fewer were able to identify ways that HIV cannot be transmitted. Nearly one-third of participants held positive attitudes toward having multiple sex partners, and nearly half believed that sex work should be legalized. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that risky sexual behavior (defined as sex with a casual or commercial sex partner) was associated with no stable partner; working abroad; correct condom use; age <22 at first sex; higher coital frequency; and having a positive attitude towards multiple sex partners.

CONCLUSIONS

We found high levels of reported sex with a casual or commercial sex partner and low levels of consistent condom use. HIV prevention interventions among migrant workers need to focus on younger migrants, migrants without stable partners, and migrants who travel abroad for work.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolates from HIV-infected patients in Guangxi, China

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected persons. The prevalence of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in HIV-infected patients in China is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of M. tuberculosis and NTM in HIV-infected patients in Guangxi Province, determine their drug resistance profiles, and evaluate the genotype patterns of M. tuberculosis strains.

DESIGN

Samples were collected from two HIV designated hospitals in Guangxi Province between 2005 and 2008. HIV-infected patients who were culture-positive for mycobacteria were included. Drug susceptibility testing was performed for mycobacterial isolates. NTM species was identified by sequencing, and M. tuberculosis isolates were genotyped using the variable number of tandem repeats method.

RESULTS

M. tuberculosis and NTM were identified in respectively 117 (53%) and 102 (47%) HIV-infected patients. Drug resistance was found in 27% and multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) in 11% of the patients with TB. Previous treatment for TB was significantly associated with MDR-TB. Twenty (17%) TB patients belonged to eight VNTR-defined clusters.

CONCLUSION

The high frequency of NTM among HIV-infected patients raises concerns about accurate species identification before the determination of appropriate treatment. The potential for TB transmission exists among HIV-infected patients. Intensified screening and effective treatment of TB-HIV co-infected patients is urgently needed.

Modelling the maintenance of egg polymorphism in avian brood parasites and their hosts

In avian brood parasitism, egg phenotype plays a key role for both host and parasite reproduction. Several parrotbill species of the genus Paradoxornis are parasitized by the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, and clear polymorphism in egg phenotype is observed. In this article, we develop a population genetics model in order to identify the key parameters that control the maintenance of egg polymorphism. The model analyses show that egg polymorphism can be maintained either statically as an equilibrium or dynamically with frequency oscillations depending on the sensitivity of the host against unlike eggs and how the parasite targets host nests with specific egg phenotypes. On the basis of the model, we discuss egg polymorphism observed in parrotbills and other host species parasitized by the cuckoo. We suggest the possibility that frequencies of egg phenotypes oscillate and we appeal for monitoring of cuckoo-host interactions over a large spatiotemporal scale.

5α-reduced glucocorticoids exhibit dissociated anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Dissociating anti-inflammatory efficacy from the metabolic side effects of glucocorticoids is an attractive therapeutic goal. 5α-Tetrahydro-corticosterone (5αTHB), produced from corticosterone by 5α-reductases, activates glucocorticoid receptors. This study compares the effects of 5αTHB on inflammation and metabolism in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

Suppression of cytokine release by 5αTHB and corticosterone were studied following LPS activation of mouse bone marrow derived macrophages. In vivo the efficacy of these steroids to dysregulate metabolic homeostasis and modulate immune suppression and the responses to thioglycollate-induced peritonitis in C57BL/6 mice were studied following acute injection (1.5-15 mg) and chronic infusion (50 µg·day(-1) , 14 days).

RESULTS

In macrophages, 5αTHB increased secretion of IL-10 similarly to corticosterone (180%, 340%; data are % vehicle, treated with 5αTHB and corticosterone, respectively) and suppressed LPS-induced secretion of TNF-α (21.9%, 74.2%) and IL-6 (16.4%, 69.4%). In mice with thioglycollate-induced peritonitis, both 5αTHB and corticosterone reduced the numbers of neutrophils (58.6%, 49.9%) and inflammatory monocytes (69.5%, 96.4%), and also suppressed MCP-1 (48.7%, 80.9%) and IL-6 (53.5%, 86.7%) in peritoneal exudate. In mice chronically infused with 5αTHB and corticosterone LPS-induced production of TNF-α from whole blood was suppressed to the same degree (63.2%, 37.2%). However, in contrast to corticosterone, 5αTHB did not induce body weight loss, increase blood pressure or induce hyperinsulinaemia.

CONCLUSIONS

5αTHB has anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo. At doses with equivalent anti-inflammatory efficacy to corticosterone, 5αTHB did not induce metabolic toxicity and thus may be a prototype for a safer anti-inflammatory drug.

Nontarget effects of foliar fungicide application on the rhizosphere: diversity of nifH gene and nodulation in chickpea field

Aims

This study explores nontarget effects of fungicide application on field-grown chickpea.

Methods and Results

Molecular methods were used to test the effects of foliar application of fungicide on the diversity and distribution of nifH genes associated with two chickpea cultivars and their nodulation. Treatments were replicated four times in a split-plot design in the field, in 2008 and 2009. Chemical disease control did not change the richness of the nifH genes associated with chickpea, but selected different dominant nifH gene sequences in 2008, as revealed by correspondence analysis. Disease control strategies had no significant effect on disease severity or nifH gene distribution in 2009. Dry weather conditions rather than disease restricted plant growth that year, suggesting that reduced infection rather than the fungicide is the factor modifying the distribution of nifH gene in chickpea rhizosphere. Reduced nodule size and enhanced N₂-fixation in protected plants indicate that disease control affects plant physiology, which may in turn influence rhizosphere bacteria. The genotypes of chickpea also affected the diversity of the nifH gene in the rhizosphere, illustrating the importance of plant selective effects on bacterial communities.

Conclusions

We conclude that the chemical disease control affects nodulation and the diversity of nifH gene in chickpea rhizosphere, by modifying host plant physiology. A direct effect of fungicide on the bacteria cannot be ruled out, however, as residual amounts of fungicide were found to accumulate in the rhizosphere soil of protected plants.

Significance and Impact of the Study

Systemic nontarget effect of phytoprotection on nifH gene diversity in chickpea rhizosphere is reported for the first time. This result suggests the possibility of manipulating associative biological nitrogen fixation in the field.

Modeling of micro-perforated panels in a complex vibro-acoustic environment using patch transfer function approach

A micro-perforated panel (MPP) with a backing cavity is a well known device for efficient noise absorption. This configuration has been thoroughly studied in the experimental conditions of an acoustic tube (Kundt tube), in which the MPP is excited by a normal incident plane wave in one dimension. In a more practical situation, the efficiency of MPP may be influenced by the vibro-acoustic behavior of the surrounding systems as well as excitation. To deal with this problem, a vibro-acoustic formulation based on the patch transfer functions (PTF) approach is proposed to model the behavior of a micro-perforated structure in a complex vibro-acoustic environment. PTF is a substructuring approach, which allows assembling different vibro-acoustic subsystems through coupled surfaces. Upon casting micro-perforations and the flexibility of the MPP under transfer function framework, the proposed PTF formulation provides explicit representation of the coupling between subsystems and facilitates physical interpretation. As an illustration example, application to a MPP with a backing cavity located in an infinite baffle is demonstrated. The proposed PTF formulation is finally validated through comparison with experimental measurements available in the literature.

Correlation between the band gap, elastic modulus, Raman shift and melting point of CdS, ZnS, and CdSe semiconductors and their size dependency

With structural miniaturization down to the nanoscale, the detectable quantities of solid materials no longer remain constant but become tunable. For the II-VI semiconductors example, the band gap expands, the elastic modulus increases, the melting point drops, and the Raman optical phonons experience red shift associated with creation of low frequency Raman acoustic modes that undergo blue shift with decreasing the dimensional scale. In order to understand the common origin of the size dependency of these seemingly irrelevant properties, we formulated these quantities for CdS, ZnS, and CdSe semiconductors from the perspectives of bond order-length-strength correlation and the local bond averaging approach. Consistency between the theory predictions and the measured size dependence of these quantities clarified that the undercoordination-induced local strain and quantum entrapment and the varied fraction of undercoordinated atoms of the entire solid correlate these quantities and dominate their size effect.

A 10-year retrospective study of primary hyperparathyroidism in children

OBJECTIVE

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in children is thought to be extremely rare. The exact incidence is unknown and little is known of the characteristics of the disease. We reviewed our experience with PHPT to better characterize these patients.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective study in 12 patients (age 9-16 years) who had surgical treatment between 2001 and 2011 in a single institution.

RESULTS

There were 5 male subjects and 7 female subjects. The diagnosis of PHPT in pediatric patients is frequently delayed with an average time of 41 months. The main signs of PHPT were urinary and bone disorders, as well as non-specific signs. All patients had preoperative localization studies prior to operation. Combined using of neck sonography, MIBI-scintigraphy and CT and/or MRI, our patients had a positive predictive value of 100%. After operation, all patients were confirmed to have parathyroid adenoma. 1 patient had 2 adenomas, 1 of which was an ectopic adenoma located in the mediastinum. 9 patients experienced symptomatic hypocalcemia postoperatively. No patients had any serious long-term effects from parathyroidectomy at our institution. All patients were cured after removal of the parathyroid adenoma. No permanent complication was observed for all patients.

CONCLUSION

PHPT in children is rare, the commonest signs are urinary and bone tissue impairment, as well as non-specific signs. Evaluation of serum calcium and PTH levels is diagnostic in suspected patients. Preoperative localization is essential. Surgery is without significant complications. Surgical treatment of PHPT is curative and definitive.

Tissue distribution study of naringin in rats by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Naringin (CAS 10236-47-2), a flavanone glucoside widely present in fruits of citrus plants, has received extensive studies on its potential effects on health benefits and was recently demonstrated to be a putative antitussive. In this study, we determined the tissue distributions of naringin and its metabolites (naringenin and naringenin's conjugates) in rats to examine whether they undergo selective uptake by specific organs. Naringin was administered orally to rats at the dose of 42 mg/kg and the concentrations of naringin and its metabolites in tissue compartments were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The areas under curve values in the individual tissues decreased as follows: stomach, small intestine, liver, trachea, muscle, kidney, lung, fat, heart, spleen, ovary, testis, brain for naringin; and liver, stomach, small intestine, kidney, trachea, lung, testis, heart, ovary, fat, spleen, muscle, brain for total naringenin (including free and its conjugates). Naringin and total naringenin were rapidly and widely distributed to all the tissues except brain in rats. They had difficulties in crossing the blood-brain barrier. There are no accumulations in rats. This study identifying naringin in several organs including lung and trachea may explain its effects as antitussive.