Transcriptome profiling to identify key mediators of granulosa cell proliferation upon FSH stimulation in the goose (Anser cygnoides)

1. The low reproductive performance of geese has seriously hampered the development of the industry. Reproductive performance, particularly the egg laying rate mainly depends on the development of the follicle. Previous studies have shown that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) plays an important role in the process of follicular development, but the exact underlying mechanism remains unclear. 2. This study showed that FSH stimulated granulosa cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of FSH treatment on granulosa cell proliferation was greatest at a dose of 100 mIU/ml FSH for 24 h. 3. Secondly, the effect of different concentrations of FSH on goose granulosa cell proliferation was investigated, and de novo transcriptome assembly and gene expression analysis performed using short-read sequencing technology (Illumina). High-throughput sequencing results yielded 62.61 M reads and 7.8 G base pairs from granulosa cells treated with 100 mIU/ml FSH. These reads were assembled into 65,757 unigenes (mean length: 705 bp) with an N50 of 903 bp. A total of 110 upregulated and 510 downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by RNA-seq. 4. Functional analysis by gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway annotation indicated that hormone biosynthesis (GO:0042446), positive regulation of hormone secretion (GO:0046887), steroid biosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation and carbon metabolism pathways were involved in FSH-mediated proliferation of goose granulosa cells. 5. After screening, a group of key responsive genes including superoxide dismutase 1, fatty acyl-CoA reductase 1, transforming growth factor-beta receptor-associated protein 1 and follistatin were tested by real-time reverse transcription PCR to confirm differential expression in granulosa cells stimulated by FSH. 6. FSH-stimulated goose granulosa cells and DEG profiling data provided comprehensive gene expression information at the transcriptional level that could promote better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying follicle development in response to FSH stimulation.

DNA methylation and copy number variation analyses of human embryonic stem cell-derived neuroprogenitors after low-dose decabromodiphenyl ether and/or bisphenol A exposure

The polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) and bisphenol A (BPA) are environmental contaminants that can cross the placenta and exert toxicity in the developing fetal nervous system. Copy number variants (CNVs) play a role in a number of genetic disorders and may be implicated in BDE-209/BPA teratogenicity. In this study, we found that BDE-209 and/or BPA exposure decreased neural differentiation efficiency of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), although there was a >90% induction of neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) from exposed hESCs. However, the mean of CNV numbers in the NPCs with BDE-209 + BPA treatment was significantly higher compared to the other groups, whereas DNA methylation was lower and DNA methyltransferase(DNMT1 and DNMT3A) expression were significantly decreased in all of the BDE-209 and/or BPA treatment groups compared with the control groups. The number of CNVs in chromosomes 3, 4, 11, 22, and X in NPCs with BDE-209 and/or BPA exposure was higher compared to the control group. In addition, CNVs in chromosomes 7, 8, 14, and 16 were stable in hESCs and hESCs-derived NPCs irrespective of BDE-209/BPA exposure, and CNVs in chromosomes 20 q11.21 and 16 p13.11 might be induced by neural differentiation. Thus, BDE-209/BPA exposure emerges as a potential source of CNVs distinct from neural differentiation by itself. BDE-209 and/or BPA exposure may cause genomic instability in cultured stem cells via reduced activity of DNA methyltransferase, suggesting a new mechanism of human embryonic neurodevelopmental toxicity caused by this class of environmental toxins.

Micro-inflammation in functional dyspepsia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a gastrointestinal disorder of unknown etiology. Although micro-inflammation appears to be important in the pathogenesis, studies evaluating immune activation in FD have been inconsistent. A systematic review of literature and meta-analysis was performed to compare immunologic cell counts and cytokine levels in the mucosa and peripheral blood of individuals with FD and healthy controls. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched. Data on immunologic cell counts and cytokines levels among individuals with FD and control groups were extracted and compared by calculating standard mean differences (SMD). Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Mast cell (SMD = 0.94, 95%CI 0.26-1.62, P = .007) and eosinophil counts (SMD = 0.36, 95%CI 0.06-0.68, P = .03) in the stomach were increased, among individuals with FD compared to controls. Similarly, mast cell (SMD = 0.66, 95%CI 0.20-1.13, P = 0.005) and eosinophil (SMD = 0.95, 95%CI 0.66-1.24; P < .001) counts in the duodenum were also increased in those with FD compared to controls. In a subgroup analysis, elevated eosinophil counts in the duodenum were observed in both post-prandial distress syndrome (SMD = 0.97, 95%CI 0.46-1.47, P = .0002) and epigastric pain syndrome subtypes (SMD = 1.16, 95%CI 0.48-1.83, P = .0008). No differences in mucosal intraepithelial lymphocyte, enterochromaffin cell, and neutrophil counts, as well as, peripheral interlukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 levels were observed among individuals with FD and controls. Micro-inflammation in the form of local immune cell infiltration, particularly eosinophils and mast cells, characterizes the pathogenesis of FD.

ERAP1/ERAP2 and RUNX3 polymorphisms are not associated with ankylosing spondylitis susceptibility in Chinese Han

Previous studies show that endoplasmic reticulum‐associated aminopeptidase (ERAP1/ERAP2) and runt‐related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) gene polymorphisms are associated with AS (ankylosing spondylitis) in European Caucasians. However, contradictory results were reported in different Asian populations. The purpose of this study was to determine whether eleven candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ERAP1/ERAP2 and six in RUNX3 genes confer susceptibility to AS with or without acute anterior uveitis (AAU) [AS⁺AAU⁺ or AS⁺AAU^–] in Chinese Han. Therefore, a case–control association study was performed in 882 AS⁺AAU^–, 884 AS⁺AAU⁺ and 1727 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using the iPLEXGold genotyping assay. A meta‐analysis was performed to assess the association of polymorphisms of ERAP1 with AS susceptibility in Asian populations. No association was found between SNPs of ERAP1/ERAP2/RUNX3 and susceptibility of AS with or without AAU. A case–control study between patients with human leucocyte antigen HLA‐B27‐positive and healthy controls also failed to demonstrate an association of the tested SNP with AS with or without AAU. Moreover, a meta‐analysis showed that there was no association of rs30187, rs27037, rs27980, rs27434 and rs27582 in ERAP1 with AS in Chinese Han. Taken together, 17 SNPs in ERAP1/ERAP2 and RUNX3 genes did not confer disease susceptibility to AS in Chinese Han.

Study of the Safety of Extracorporeal Cardiac Shock Wave Therapy: Observation of the Ultrastructures in Myocardial Cells by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Extracorporeal cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) has been used to treat patients with severe coronary heart disease and cardiac failure with good results; however, the safety of this treatment is still controversial. Its safety in clinical setting and on microstructures has been confirmed, but the influence of shock wave on the ultrastructures of myocardial cells is not clear. In this study, 12 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (NC) and CSWT therapy (NC+SW) groups. The heart rate, blood pressure, serum troponin I (TNI), and cardiac ultrasound were evaluated, and the myocardial inflammatory responses and fibrosis changes were compared. The samples were observed by transmission electron microscopy to evaluate the changes in myocardial tissue ultrastructure. The CSWT had no significant influence on rat hemodynamics indices and serum TNI, did not affect left ventricular function, and did not cause myocardial inflammatory response and fibrosis changes. The scores of myocardial ultrastructure damage in the NC and NC+SW groups were 1.39 ± 0.982 and 2.42 ± 1.009, respectively ( P = .103). The CSWT did not cause significant additional damage to myocardial ultrastructures. The safety of CWST has been preliminarily proved at the clinical, microstructure, and ultrastructure levels, but its long-term safety needs further exploration.

[Analysis of maternal deaths in Shanghai from 1996 to 2015]

Objective: To analyze the trend of maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and cause of death in Shanghai from 1996 to 2015. Methods: To collect the material about the maternal death and the maternal death audit from 1996 to 2015, and to analyze the MMR, the cause of death and the result of the maternal death audit of Shanghai from 1996 to 2015 retrospectively. Results: (1) The change of MMR: the MMR in Shanghai decreased from 28.84 per 100 000 live births in 1996 to 6.66 per 100 000 live births in 2015. (2) The characteristic of maternal death: the proportion of Shanghai citizens was 27.4%(121/441) and the proportion of migrant women was 72.6%(320/441). The women with advanced maternal age was 8.2% (20/243) since 1996 to 2005, and increased to 16.7% (33/198) since 2006 to 2015. Maternal deaths during pregnancy increased from 27.6%(67/243) in the first 10 years (1996-2005) to 35.4%(70/198) in the recent 10 years (2006-2015) . The intrapartum maternal deaths was 6.2%(15/243) in the first 10 years and in the recent 10 years it was zero. The proportion of postpartum deaths in the first 10 years and in the recent 10 years were 66.3% (161/243) and 64.6%(128/198) respectively. (3) The cause of maternal death: During the recent 10 years, indirect obstetric causes [63.1%(125/198)] was more than direct obstetric causes [36.9% (73/198) ] for the first time. The death causes changed significantly. Postpartum hemorrhage remained the leading cause of maternal deaths, but the specific mortality rate (SMR) of postpartum hemorrhage decreased significantly from 7.42 per 100 000 live births in the first 10 years to 1.51 per 100 000 live births in the recent 10 years. The maternal deaths because of heart disease and cerebrovascular disease rose to the second and the forth reasons. (4) Maternal death audit: the avoidable maternal death ratio decreased from 3.66 per 100 000 live births in the first 10 years to 1.86 per 100 000 live births in the recent 10 years. Conclusions: During the past 20 years, the MMR of Shanghai decreased significantly and was close to the level of developed countries. In recent years, the causes of maternal death become more complicated. With the implementation of the second child policy, women with high risk factors increase, so government investment, policy support should be strengthened to optimize the management.

Shock Wave Therapy Promotes Cardiomyocyte Autophagy and Survival during Hypoxia

BACKGROUND

Autophagy plays an important role in cardiovascular disease. Controversy still exists regarding the effect of autophagy on ischemic/hypoxic myocardium. Cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) is an effective alternative treatment for refractory ischemic heart disease. Whether CSWT can regulate cardiomyocyte autophagy under hypoxic conditions is not clear. We established a myocardial hypoxia model using the H9c2 cell line and performed shock waves (SWs) treatment to evaluate the effect of SW on autophagy.

METHODS

The H9c2 cells were incubated under hypoxic conditions, and SW treatment was then performed at energies of 0.02, 0.05, or 0.10 mJ/mm2. The cell viability and intracellular ATP level were examined. Western blot analysis was used to assess the expression of LC3B, AMPK, mTOR, Beclin-1, Sirt1, and HIF-1α. Autophagic vacuoles were visualized by monodansylcadaverine staining.

RESULTS

After the 24-hour hypoxic period, cardiomyocyte viability and ATP levels were decreased and autophagy was significantly increased in H9c2 cells. SW treatment with an energy of 0.05 mJ/mm2 significantly increased the cellular viability, ATP level, LC3B-II/I, and number of autophagic vacuoles. In addition, phosphorylated AMPK and Sirt1 were increased and phosphorylated mTOR and HIF-1α were decreased after SW treatment.

CONCLUSION

SW treatment can potentially promote cardiomyocyte autophagy during hypoxia and protect cardiomyocyte function by regulating the AMPK/mTOR pathway.

Comparison of transvaginal surgery and methotrexate/mifepristone-combined transcervical resection in the treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

To explore the safety and efficiency of transvaginal surgical treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 54 CSP patients that received treatment in our hospital from October 2011 to September 2015 was performed, dividing two groups: Group A (n=34) received transvaginal cesarean scar pregnancy focus clearance surgery while Group B (n=20) received transcervical resection following methotrexate/mifepristone-combined treatment. The basic clinical findings were collected and analyzed, along with the curative effects between the two groups.

RESULTS

Differences in age (30.91 ± 4.59 years vs. 31.91 ± 5.53 years) for gravidity (2.97 ± 1.24 times vs. 2.75 ± 1.48 times), cesarean section (1.24 ± 0.43 vs. 1.20 ± 0.41), time interval from last cesarean section (56.53 ± 32.93 months vs. 58.70 ± 39.44 months), menelipsis (51.35 ± 10.90 days vs. 57.85 ± 16.62 days), pre-operative serum-hCG (27953.65 ± 37517.10 mIU/L vs. 17368.24 ± 35094.14 mIU/L), operation time (43.34 ± 12.38 min vs 40.07 ± 16.88 min), menstruation recovery time (1.23 ± 0.53 months vs. 1.55 ± 0.76 months) were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The differences in the intraoperative blood loss (43.34 ± 12.38 ml vs. 40.07 ± 16.88 ml), average hospital stay (7.61 ± 2.47 days vs. 12.42 ± 3.64 days), time for β-hCG to return to normal (18.50 ± 8.19 mIU/L vs. 29.00 ± 12.96 mIU/L) between the two groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Group A was significantly lower than Group B.

CONCLUSIONS

Transvaginal surgery is an effective and relatively safe treatment option for CSP patients.

Etoposide and cisplatin versus paclitaxel and carboplatin with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy in unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter randomized phase III trial

Background

The optimal chemotherapy regimen administered currently with radiation in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. A multicenter phase III trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of concurrent thoracic radiation therapy with either etoposide/cisplatin (EP) or carboplatin/paclitaxel (PC) in patients with stage III NSCLC.

Patients and methods

Patients were randomly received 60-66 Gy of thoracic radiation therapy concurrent with either etoposide 50 mg/m2 on days 1-5 and cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 4 weeks for two cycles (EP arm), or paclitaxel 45 mg/m2 and carboplatin (AUC 2) on day 1 weekly (PC arm). The primary end point was overall survival (OS). The study was designed with 80% power to detect a 17% superiority in 3-year OS with a type I error rate of 0.05.

Results

A total of 200 patients were randomized and 191 patients were treated (95 in the EP arm and 96 in the PC arm). With a median follow-up time of 73 months, the 3-year OS was significantly higher in the EP arm than that of the PC arm. The estimated difference was 15.0% (95% CI 2.0%-28.0%) and P value of 0.024. Median survival times were 23.3 months in the EP arm and 20.7 months in the PC arm (log-rank test P = 0.095, HR 0.76, 95%CI 0.55-1.05). The incidence of Grade ≥2 radiation pneumonitis was higher in the PC arm (33.3% versus 18.9%, P = 0.036), while the incidence of Grade ≥3 esophagitis was higher in the EP arm (20.0% versus 6.3%, P = 0.009).

Conclusion

EP might be superior to weekly PC in terms of OS in the setting of concurrent chemoradiation for unresectable stage III NSCLC.

Trial registration ID

NCT01494558.

Downregulation of UBAP2L Inhibits the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition via SNAIL1 Regulation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Dysregulation of ubiquitin-associated protein 2-like (UBAP2L) has been reported in tumors, but its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression is unclear.

METHODS

The expression levels of UBAP2L in HCC tissues and HCC cell lines were detected by western blot and quantitative real-time (qRT) PCR. The effects of UBAP2L expression on HCC cell biological traits, including migration and invasion, were investigated by wound healing assay and matrigel transwell assay. Simultaneously, the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers including E-cadherin, CK-18, N-cadherin, Vimentin, Claudin7 and the promoter activity of E-cadherin were detected by western blot and qRT-PCR. Subsequently, role of SNAIL1 in UBAP2L-mediated EMT and the mechanism underlying UBAP2L-mediated SNAIL1 expression were further investigated.

RESULTS

UBAP2L was overexpressed in human HCC tissues compared with peri-tumoral tissues. Downregulation of UBAP2L inhibited migration, invasion and the EMT in highly metastatic HCC cell lines. Furthermore, UBAP2L knockdown inhibited expression of the transcriptional repressor SNAIL1 and its ability to bind to the E-cadherin promoter via SMAD2 signaling pathway, which in turn resulted in increased E-cadherin expression. Additionally, bioinformatics analysis showed that expression of UBAP2L is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

UBAP2L plays a critical role in maintenance of the metastatic ability of HCC cells via SNAIL1 Regulation and is predictive of a poor clinical outcome.

Phylogeographical Analysis Reveals Distinct Sources of HIV-1 and HCV Transmitted to Former Blood Donors in China

Historically, coinfection of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) was frequent among Chinese former blood donors (FBDs). This is largely due to ignorance/lack of education regarding appropriate sterilizing techniques and/or the availability of single-use needles and equipment. Although HCV shares identical transmission routes with HIV, the source of HCV in the Chinese blood donor population still remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the evolution and transmission of HCV and HIV in the Chinese FBD group. Similar to previous reports, two HCV subtypes (HCV 1b and 2a) and one HIV subtype (Thai-B) were identified in FBDs. The HCV 1b subtype had a similar evolutionary rate of 1.9 × 10^-3 substitutions/site/year to that of HIV (2.06 × 10^-3 substitutions/site/year), while the HCV 2a subtype had a faster evolutionary rate of 3.8 × 10^-3 substitutions/site/year. Phylogeographical analysis indicated that the introduction of HCV 1b into FBDs was estimated to be earlier than that of HCV 2a and HIV (late 1970s vs. late 1980s). Bayesian Skyline Plot (BSP) analysis further confirmed our findings, showing that HCV 1b infections breached a fast exponential growth from 1991 to 1998, while the HCV 2a infections had a fast exponential growth that occurred in around 1996-2001. Overall, this investigation helps to better understand HCV transmission in China and supports improvements of HCV prevalence control.

PTPRO represses ERBB2-driven breast oncogenesis by dephosphorylation and endosomal internalization of ERBB2

The plasma membrane-associated tyrosine phosphatase PTPRO is frequently transcriptionally repressed in cancers and signifies poor prognosis of breast cancer patients. In this study, deletion of Ptpro in MMTV-Erbb2 transgenic mice dramatically shortened the mammary tumor latency and accelerated tumor growth due to loss of Ptpro within the breast cancer cells but not in surrounding tissue as confirmed by hetero-transplantation studies. Both in vitro and in vivo data demonstrated that the phosphatase activity was required for the inactivation of ERBB2 and its downstream signaling. PTPRO regulated the phosphorylation status of ERBB2 at Y1248. Co-immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assay (Duolink) indicated that PTPRO directly physically interacted with ERBB2. Moreover, PTPRO phosphatase activity shortened the half-life of ERBB2 by increasing endocytotic degradation. PTPRO reexpression by demethylation treatment using 5-azacytidine reduced the proliferation and colony formation potential in ERBB2-positive breast cancer cells. Taken together, PTPRO inhibited ERBB2-driven breast cancer through dephosphorylation leading to dual effects of ERBB2 signaling suppression and endosomal internalization of ERBB2, Therefore, reexpression of PTPRO may be a potential therapy for ERBB2-overexpressing breast cancer.

Joint Association of Obesity and Hypertension with Disability in the Elderly-- A Community-Based Study of Residents in Shanghai, China

BACKGROUND

Although both obesity and hypertension are known risk factors for disability, the joint association of obesity and hypertension with risk of disability is unknown. This paper is aim to examine the joint association of obesity and hypertension with risk of disability.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study with 8060 elderly community-dwelling individuals participating in the survey initiated by Shanghai Health and Family Planning Commission from March to September 2013. Obesity was measured using the body mass index (BMI) in World Health Organization (WHO) Asia criteria. Hypertension, based on the doctor's diagnosis, was obtained through face-to-face interview. Disability was measured using the self-reported physical self-maintenance scale (PSMS) and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale developed by Lawton and Brody.

RESULTS

A total of 8.97% of participants reported ADL disability, and 15.18% for IADL disability. After adjusting social demographics and chronic conditions, the risk of ADL disability was progressively greater in obese persons with hypertension (OR=1.40, 95% CI=1.05-1.89), underweight persons without hypertension (OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.29-3.25), and underweight persons with hypertension (OR=2.14, 95% CI=1.36-3.36). For IADL disability, only underweight persons with hypertension were significantly associated (OR=1.65, 95% CI=1.23-2.21).

CONCLUSIONS

Low or extremely high BMI, independent of its metabolic consequences, is a risk factor for disability among the elderly. Simple hypertension wasn't significantly associated with disability. In addition, having hypertension significantly increased the risk of ADL disability in obese individuals and IADL disability in underweight individuals.

Fabrication of ascorbyl palmitate loaded poly(caprolactone)/silver nanoparticle embedded poly(vinyl alcohol) hybrid nanofibre mats as active wound dressings via dual-spinneret electrospinning

AP loaded PCL/AgNP embedded PVA hybrid nanofibre mats were prepared through dual-spinneret electrospinning, which altogether contributed to wound healing.

eNOS/iNOS and endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis in the placentas of patients with preeclampsia

Disruption of nitric oxide pathway and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress had been observed in preeclampsia (PE). However, the correlation and overall detailed expression profiles of ER stress-related markers and endothelial nitric oxide synthase/inducible nitric oxide synthase (eNOS/iNOS) in patients with PE were poorly understood. In this study, placental protein expression of ER stress-related markers as well as eNOS/iNOS in normotensive control (n=32) and PE pregnancies (n=32) was examined by western blot. In addition, apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end labelling (TUNEL) staining in placentas. Compared with control, we found elevated ER stress response was agreeable with iNOS upregulation in placenta tissue of PE patients. Placental protein expression of ER stress-related markers, including GRP78, GRP94, p-PERK, eIF2a, p-eIF2a, XBP1, CHOP, Ire1, p-Ire1 and iNOS, was higher, and eNOS expression was lower in PE (P<0.05 for all); however, the expression of ATF6 and PERK was similar in the PE and control groups. Upregulation of CHOP and iNOS was consistent of apoptosis increasing indicated by TUNEL staining and caspase 4 expression upregulation in PE placenta. Our datas suggest that the exaggerated ER stress response and upregulated iNOS are probably associated with increased apoptosis in placenta of PE patients and may contribute to the pathophysiology of PE.

Selection signature analysis reveals genes associated with tail type in Chinese indigenous sheep

Fat-tailed sheep have commercial value because consumers prefer high-protein and low-fat food and producers care about feed conversion rate. However, fat-tailed sheep still have some scientific significance, as the fat tail is commonly regarded as a characteristic of environmental adaptability. Finding the candidate genes associated with fat tail formation is essential for breeding and conservation. To identify these candidate genes, we applied FST and hapFLK approaches in fat- and thin-tailed sheep with available 50K SNP genotype data. These two methods found 6.24 Mb of overlapped regions and 43 genes that may associated with fat tail development. Gene annotation showed that HOXA11, BMP2, PPP1CC, SP3, SP9, WDR92, PROKR1 and ETAA1 may play important roles in fat tail formation. These findings provide insight into tail fat development and a guide for molecular breeding and conservation.