Histopathological effects of Pedunsaponin A on Pomacea canaliculata

Pedunsaponin A, a novel molluscicidal compound isolated from Pueraria peduncularis, exhibits strong toxicity against Pomacea canaliculata. To determine the mechanisms of Pedunsaponin A toxicity, its effects on the organs and hemocytes of P. canaliculata were examined in this study. The results showed that Pedunsaponin A had significant toxic effects on different organs of the snail, including the lungs, gills, mantle, siphon tube, ventricle, pericardial cavity, hepatopancreas, kidneys, and the major symptom of this toxicity was the loss of cilia in the lungs and gills. Additionally, in further studies on the effects of Pedunsaponin A treatment, we found that the hemocyte count was changed and hemocyte morphology was damaged, which was primarily reflected by cytoplasm leakage, nuclei deformation, and significant reductions in the number of ribosomes and granulocyte mitochondria. Based on these results and considering that blood vessels are distributed in the lungs and gills, we hypothesized that Pedunsaponin A would first destroy the cilia, which disrupt physiological activities such as respiration, excretion and feeding, and then enter the hemolymph through blood vessels, disrupt the normal function of the hemocytes and destroy the snail immune system, eventually resulting in the death of the snail.

Genetic and clinical findings in a Chinese cohort of patients with collagen VI-related myopathies

Collagen VI-related myopathy, caused by pathogenic variants in the genes encoding collagen VI, represents a clinical continuum from Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) to Bethlem myopathy (BM). Clinical data of 60 probands and their family members were collected and muscle biopsies of 26 patients were analyzed. COL6A1, COL6A2 and COL6A3 exons were analyzed by direct sequencing or next generation sequencing (NGS). Sixty patients were characterized by delayed motor milestones, muscle weakness, skin and joint changes with 40 UCMD and 20 BM. Muscle with biopsies revealed dystrophic changes and showed completely deficiency of collagen VI or sarcolemma specific collagen VI deficiency. We identified 62 different pathogenic variants in these 60 patients, with 34 were first reported while 28 were previously known; 72 allelic pathogenic variants in COL6A1 (25/72, 34.7%), COL6A2 (33/72, 45.8%) and COL6A3 (14/72, 19.4%). We also found somatic mosaic variant in the parent of 1 proband by personal genome machine amplicon deep sequencing for mosaicism. Here we provide clinical, histological and genetic evidence of collagen VI-related myopathy in 60 Chinese patients. NGS is a valuable approach for diagnosis and accurate diagnosis provides useful information for genetic counseling of related families.

The Risks of Overweight, Obesity and Abdominal Obesity in Middle Age after Exposure to Famine in Early Life: Evidence from the China's 1959-1961 Famine

OBJECTIVE

Several studies have revealed that exposure to famine in early life was associated with higher body mass index(BMI) and waist circumference, and most of them used data from cross-sectional studies and defined those born before or after the famine period as non-exposed participants, which ignored the effects caused by age. Our objective was to study the effects of undernutrition in early life on overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity in those aged 54-56.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study with the status at age of 54-56 as outcomes. 1092 participants born between 1959 and 1961 from 2015 wave of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were defined as exposed and 1616 born between 1955 and 1957 from 2011 wave of CHARLS were defined as control. We used the prevalence odds ratios(ORs) to estimate the risks of overweight, obesity, abdominal obesity, and stratified by famine severity and sex separately for comparisons.

RESULTS

Exposed group had higher risks of overweight (OR 1.357, 95%CI 1.067,1.727) and obesity (OR 1.356, 95%CI 1.001,1.836) in women, not in men. Participants in exposed group were more likely to have abdominal obesity (OR 1.362, 95%CI 1.139,1.629), regardless of famine severity and gender.

CONCLUSION

Undernutrition in early life increased the risks of overweight and obesity in women not in men. And the risk of abdominal obesity was increased with the experience of undernutrition at early age both in men and women.

TXNDC5 contributes to rheumatoid arthritis by down-regulating IGFBP1 expression

The thioredoxin domain-containing 5 (TXNDC5) gene is associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and exhibits increased expression in the synovial tissues. TXNDC5 is also associated strongly with diabetes, a metabolic disease characterized by interrupted insulin signalling. This study investigated whether TXNDC5 contributes to RA via the insulin signalling pathway. In this study, RA synovial fibroblast-like cells (RASFs) transfected with an anti-TXNDC5 small interfering RNA (siRNA) were analysed with an insulin signaling pathway RT² profiler polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array and an insulin resistance RT² profiler PCR array. The PCR arrays detected significantly increased expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) in RASFs with suppressed TXNDC5 expression. The result was verified using real-time PCR and Western blot analyses. Significantly elevated IGFBP1 expression and decreased interleukin (IL)-6 secretion were also detected in culture medium of transfected RASFs. Furthermore, decreased IGFBP1 mRNA and protein expression levels were detected in RA synovial tissues. Additionally, significantly increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and cell migration were observed in RASFs transfected with the anti-TXNDC5 siRNA, whereas transfection with the anti-IGFBP1 siRNA or a mixture of the anti-IGFBP1 and anti-TXNDC5 siRNAs restored normal cell proliferation, migration and IL-6 level in RASFs. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) has potent prosurvival and anti-apoptotic functions, and IGFBP1 can suppress IGF activity. Based on the results of the present study, we suggest that TXNDC5 contributes to abnormal RASF proliferation, migration and IL-6 production by inhibiting IGFBP1 expression.

Myostatin inhibition prevents skeletal muscle pathophysiology in Huntington's disease mice

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder of which skeletal muscle atrophy is a common feature, and multiple lines of evidence support a muscle-based pathophysiology in HD mouse models. Inhibition of myostatin signaling increases muscle mass, and therapeutic approaches based on this are in clinical development. We have used a soluble ActRIIB decoy receptor (ACVR2B/Fc) to test the effects of myostatin/activin A inhibition in the R6/2 mouse model of HD. Weekly administration from 5 to 11 weeks of age prevented body weight loss, skeletal muscle atrophy, muscle weakness, contractile abnormalities, the loss of functional motor units in EDL muscles and delayed end-stage disease. Inhibition of myostatin/activin A signaling activated transcriptional profiles to increase muscle mass in wild type and R6/2 mice but did little to modulate the extensive Huntington's disease-associated transcriptional dysregulation, consistent with treatment having little impact on HTT aggregation levels. Modalities that inhibit myostatin signaling are currently in clinical trials for a variety of indications, the outcomes of which will present the opportunity to assess the potential benefits of targeting this pathway in HD patients.

RNA-seq analysis of amygdala tissue reveals characteristic expression profiles in schizophrenia

The amygdala brain region has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia through emotion processing. However, transcriptome messages in the amygdala of schizophrenia patients have not been well studied. We used RNA sequencing to investigate gene-expression profiling in the amygdala tissues, and identified 569 upregulated and 192 downregulated genes from 22 schizophrenia patients and 24 non-psychiatric controls. Gene functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that the downregulated genes were enriched in pathways such as 'synaptic transmission' and 'behavior', whereas the upregulated genes were significantly over-represented in gene ontology pathways such as 'immune response' and 'blood vessel development'. Co-expression-based gene network analysis identified seven modules including four modules significantly associated with 'synaptic transmission', 'blood vessel development' or 'immune responses'. Taken together, our study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanism of schizophrenia, suggesting that precision-tailored therapeutic approaches aimed at normalizing the expression/function of specific gene networks could be a promising option in schizophrenia.

Jasmonates are induced by the PAMP flg22 but not the cell death-inducing elicitor Harpin in Vitis rupestris

Plants employ two layers of defence that differ with respect to cell death: pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). In our previous work, we have comparatively mapped the molecular events in a cell system derived from the wild American grape Vitis rupestris, where cell death-independent defence can be triggered by PAMP flg22, whereas the elicitor Harpin activates a cell death-related ETI-like response. Both defence responses overlapped with respect to early events, such as calcium influx, apoplastic alkalinisation, oxidative burst, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling, activation of defence-related genes and accumulation of phytoalexins. However, timing and amplitude of early signals differed. In the current study, we address the role of jasmonates (JAs) as key signalling compounds in hypersensitive cell death. We find, in V. rupestris, that jasmonic acid and its bioactive conjugate jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) rapidly accumulate in response to flg22 but not in response to Harpin. However, Harpin can induce programmed cell death, whereas exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) fails to do so, although both signals induce a similar response of defence genes. Also in a second cell line from V. vinifera cv. 'Pinot Noir', where Harpin cannot activate cell death and where flg22 fails to induce JA and JA-Ile, defence genes are activated in a similar manner. These findings indicate that the signal pathway culminating in cell death must act independently from the events culminating in the accumulation of toxic stilbenes.

Inhibition of tumor suppressor p53 preserves glycation-serum induced pancreatic beta-cell demise

Tumor suppressor p53 is a transcriptional factor that determines cell fate in response to multiple stressors, such as oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress, in the majority of cells. However, its role in pancreatic beta cells is not well documented. Our previous research has revealed that glycation-serum (GS) induced pancreatic beta-cell demise through the AGEs-RAGE pathway. In the present study, we investigated the role of p53 in GS-related beta-cell demise. Using pancreatic islets beta-cell line INS-1 cells, we found that with GS treatment, the transcriptional activity of p53 was significantly evoked due to the increased amount of nuclear p53 protein. Resveratrol (RSV) was capable of further enhancing this transcriptional ability and consequently increased the population of dead beta cells under GS exposure. In contrast, inhibiting this transcriptional activity via p53 interference greatly protected beta cells from the damage provoked by GS, as well as damage strengthened by RSV. However, the pharmacological activation of PPARγ with troglitazone (TRO) only suppressed GS-induced, not RSV-induced, p53 activity. Moreover, the activation of PPARγ greatly preserved beta cells from GS-induced death. This protective effect recurred due to improved mitochondrial function with Bcl2 overexpression. Further, p53 activation could induce cellular apoptosis in primary rat islets. Our findings explore the broader role of p53 in regulating pancreatic beta-cell demise in the presence of GS and may provide a therapeutic target for the treatment and prevention of diabetes.

Cross-cultural translation of the Lysholm knee score in Chinese and its validation in patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury

Background

The Lysholm Knee Score (LKS) is widely used and is one of the most effective questionnaires employed to assess knee injuries. Although LKS has been translated into multiple languages, there is no Chinese version even though China has the largest population of patients with knee-joint injuries. The objective of our study was to develop the Chinese version of LKS (C-LKS) and assess its reliability, validity and responsiveness in Chinese patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

Methods

Study participants were mainly recruited among patients with ACL injuries scheduled for arthroscopic ACL reconstruction at our hospital. First, we developed the C-LKS in a five-step translation and cross-cultural adaptation procedure. Next, we calculated the Cronbach’s alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r), effect size (ES), and standardized response mean (SRM) to evaluate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of C-LKS respectively.

Results

Overall, 126 patients with ACL injuries successfully completed the questionnaires. Acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.726) as well as excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.935) was found for C-LKS. Good or moderate correlation (r = 0.514–0.837) was determined among C-LKS and International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), physical subscales of SF-36; C-LKS also had fair or moderate correlation (r = 0.207–0.462) with the other subscales of SF-36, which adequately illustrated that good validity was included in C-LKS. In addition, good responsiveness was also observed in C-LKS (ES = 1.36,SRM = 1.26).

Conclusions

We have shown that our developed C-LKS questionnaire is reliable, valid and responsible for the evaluation of Chinese-speaking patients with ACL injuries and it would be an effective instrument.

Molecular and phenotypic characterization of Colletotrichum species associated with anthracnose disease in peppers from Sichuan Province, China

The anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum species is an important disease that primarily causes fruit rot in pepper. Eighty-eight strains representing seven species of Colletotrichum were obtained from rotten pepper fruits in Sichuan Province, China, and characterized according to morphology and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) sequence. Fifty-two strains were chosen for identification by phylogenetic analyses of multi-locus sequences, including the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the β-tubulin (TUB2), actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL) and GAPDH genes. Based on the combined datasets, the 88 strains were identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, C. siamense, C. fructicola, C. truncatum, C. scovillei, and C. brevisporum, and one new species was detected, described as Colletotrichum sichuanensis. Notably, C. siamense and C. scovillei were recorded for the first time as the causes of anthracnose in peppers in China. In addition, with the exception of C. truncatum, this is the first report of all of the other Colletotrichum species studied in pepper from Sichuan. The fungal species were all non-host-specific, as the isolates were able to infect not only Capsicum spp. but also Pyrus pyrifolia in pathogenicity tests. These findings suggest that the fungal species associated with anthracnose in pepper may inoculate other hosts as initial inoculum.

CpG island evolution in the mammalian DHRS4 gene cluster and its role in the regulation of gene transcription

The dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR family) member 4 (DHRS4) gene is copied during mammalian evolution; therefore, while only one DHRS4 gene is expressed in the mouse genome, the gene cluster consists of two (DHRS4 and DHRS4L1) and three (DHRS4, DHRS4L2, and DHRS4L1) copies in chimpanzees and humans, respectively. In this study, we explored the possible regulatory mechanism of the DHRS4 gene cluster in mammalian evolution by analyzing the promoter sequence, methylation of CpG islands, and RNA expression of the DHRS4 gene cluster in mice, chimpanzees, and humans by bioinformatics prediction, bisulfite sequencing PCR, and real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR. The results indicated that the DHRS4 gene was actively expressed in the three model species. The RNA level of DHRS4L1 was much lower than those of DHRS4 and DHRS4L2, and expressed lower homologous sequence identity to DHRS4 and DHRS4L2. DHRS4L2, the latest evolutionary copy of the DHRS4 gene in mammals, received a high promoter prediction score, and was the only copy of the DHRS4 gene cluster presenting hypermethylated CpG islands in the promoter region. An analysis of the relationship between the promoter characteristics and RNA expression of the DHRS4 gene cluster indicated that the development of CpG islands, in addition to the promoter sequence, during mammalian evolution could modulate the dose compensatory regulation of the copy number-varied DHRS4 gene cluster.

Potential involvement of placental AhR in unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a common complication of pregnancy. Recent studies have demonstrated that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) might play important roles in establishing and maintaining early pregnancy. In this study, we found that placental AhR protein levels were significantly lower and placental CYP1A1 mRNA levels were higher in unexplained RSA (URSA) patients than in control subjects. The results of immunohistochemical analyzes showed that placental AhR was expressed in syncytiotrophoblast cells and that the level of AhR was markedly lower in these cells in URSA subjects than in control subjects. β-Naphthoflavone (β-NF, an AhR ligand) at 5μM significantly inhibited proliferation and migration in HTR-8/SVneo cells and was associated with the activation of AhR. Moreover, overexpressing AhR in JAR cells significantly increased CYP1A1 mRNA levels and inhibited cell migration. These results indicate that AhR is highly activated in URSA placentas and that the activation of AhR in the placenta might impair trophoblast cell proliferation and migration, possibly leading to the occurrence of URSA.