Proteomic analysis of tilapia Oreochromis niloticus Streptococcus agalactiae strains with different genotypes and serotypes

Nine tilapia Oreochromis niloticus group B streptococcus (GBS) strains differing in serotype and genotype were selected and paired. Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D DIGE) and matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) were used to analyse the protein profiles of the strain pairs. Forty-three proteins corresponding to 66 spots were identified, of which 35 proteins were found in the seven selected strain pairs that represented pairs differing in genotype and serotype. Among the 35 proteins, numbers of differentially expressed proteins in strains of different serotypes were greater than found in strains of different genotypes, suggesting that serotype plays a more essential role than genotype in the differential protein expression among GBS strains. No distinct pattern was found with respect to genotype and the protein expression profile of GBS strains. Several proteins were identified as surface-associated cytoplasmic proteins that possessed the typical immunity-eliciting characteristics of surface proteins. The identified proteins were found to be involved in 16 biological processes and seven Kyoto encyclopaedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathways. The data, for the first time, identified differentially expressed proteins in O. niloticus GBS strains of different serotypes, which play a major role in immunogenicity of O. niloticus GBS than does genotype, offering further information for design of a vaccine against O. niloticus GBS.

Subtypes of major depression: latent class analysis in depressed Han Chinese women

BACKGROUND

Despite substantial research, uncertainty remains about the clinical and etiological heterogeneity of major depression (MD). Can meaningful and valid subtypes be identified and would they be stable cross-culturally?

METHOD

Symptoms at their lifetime worst depressive episode were assessed at structured psychiatric interview in 6008 women of Han Chinese descent, age ⩾ 30 years, with recurrent DSM-IV MD. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed in Mplus. RESULTS; Using the nine DSM-IV MD symptomatic A criteria, the 14 disaggregated DSM-IV criteria and all independently assessed depressive symptoms (n = 27), the best LCA model identified respectively three, four and six classes. A severe and non-suicidal class was seen in all solutions, as was a mild/moderate subtype. An atypical class emerged once bidirectional neurovegetative symptoms were included. The non-suicidal class demonstrated low levels of worthlessness/guilt and hopelessness. Patterns of co-morbidity, family history, personality, environmental precipitants, recurrence and body mass index (BMI) differed meaningfully across subtypes, with the atypical class standing out as particularly distinct.

CONCLUSIONS

MD is a clinically complex syndrome with several detectable subtypes with distinct clinical and demographic correlates. Three subtypes were most consistently identified in our analyses: severe, atypical and non-suicidal. Severe and atypical MD have been identified in multiple prior studies in samples of European ethnicity. Our non-suicidal subtype, with low levels of guilt and hopelessness, may represent a pathoplastic variant reflecting Chinese cultural influences.

The prevalence of schizophrenia in mainland China: evidence from epidemiological surveys

OBJECTIVE

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder. Its prevalence appears inconsistent in different regions of China; thus, we conducted this meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of schizophrenia in mainland China.

METHOD

Studies on the prevalence of schizophrenia in mainland China were identified from electronic databases up to July 2013. Meta-analysis was used for prevalence of schizophrenia estimate.

RESULTS

For lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia, prevalence of 5.44 per 1000 (overall), 5.33 per 1000 (males), 5.51 per 1000 (females), 6.60 per 1000 (urban) and 4.73 per 1000 (rural) were estimated; there was no significant difference between males and females, while prevalence for urban dwellers was higher than for rural (OR=1.44, 95%CI: 1.30-1.59). For point prevalence of schizophrenia, prevalence of 4.62 per 1000 (overall), 4.63 per 1000 (males), 4.95 per 1000 (females), 5.15 per 1000 (urban) and 4.44 per 1000 (rural) were estimated; no statistical difference was found in males and females, but prevalence for urban dwellers was higher than for rural (OR=1.20; 95%CI: 1.02-1.41).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence estimate results were consistent with the international prevalence estimate of schizophrenia in mainland China. There was no significant difference between males and females, while prevalence for urban dwellers was higher than for rural.

The structure of the symptoms of major depression: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in depressed Han Chinese women

BACKGROUND

The symptoms of major depression (MD) are clinically diverse. Do they form coherent factors that might clarify the underlying nature of this important psychiatric syndrome?

METHOD

Symptoms at lifetime worst depressive episode were assessed at structured psychiatric interview in 6008 women of Han Chinese descent, age ⩾30 years with recurrent DSM-IV MD. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatoryfactor analysis (CFA) were performed in Mplus in random split-half samples.

RESULTS

The preliminary EFA results were consistently supported by the findings from CFA. Analyses of the nine DSM-IV MD symptomatic A criteria revealed two factors loading on: (i) general depressive symptoms; and (ii) guilt/suicidal ideation. Examining 14 disaggregated DSM-IV criteria revealed three factors reflecting: (i) weight/appetite disturbance; (ii) general depressive symptoms; and (iii) sleep disturbance. Using all symptoms (n = 27), we identified five factors that reflected: (i) weight/appetite symptoms; (ii) general retarded depressive symptoms; (iii) atypical vegetative symptoms; (iv) suicidality/hopelessness; and (v) symptoms of agitation and anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

MD is a clinically complex syndrome with several underlying correlated symptom dimensions. In addition to a general depressive symptom factor, a complete picture must include factors reflecting typical/atypical vegetative symptoms, cognitive symptoms (hopelessness/suicidal ideation), and an agitated symptom factor characterized by anxiety, guilt, helplessness and irritability. Prior cross-cultural studies, factor analyses of MD in Western populations and empirical findings in this sample showing risk factor profiles similar to those seen in Western populations suggest that our results are likely to be broadly representative of the human depressive syndrome.

Three months of methoxetamine administration is associated with significant bladder and renal toxicity in mice

CONTEXT.: Methoxetamine is a ketamine analogue that has recently emerged as a novel psychoactive substance. Chronic ketamine use is associated with significant bladder and renal toxicity. Methoxetamine has been marketed as "bladder friendly", but there is no data to be able to substantiate this claim.

OBJECTIVE

To characterise the patterns of bladder and renal toxicity associated with 3 months of methoxetamine administration in an animal model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two-month-old Institute of Cancer Research mice were administered 30 mg/kg methoxetamine intraperitoneally (n = 5) or saline (n = 3 control) for 3 months. The animals were then sacrificed and histological examination, immuno-cytochemistry using polyclonal anti-CD4 antibodies and sirius-red staining for collagen were performed.

RESULTS

The kidneys of methoxetamine-treated animals showed inflammatory cell infiltration, tubular cell necrosis and glomerular damage (1.9 ± 0.3% shrunken glomeruli in control, 9.8 ± 0.8% in methoxetamine-treated mice (p < 0.0001); 2.9 ± 0.3% tubular cell degeneration in control, 20.4 ± 1.1% in methoxetamine-treated mice (p < 0.0001)). There was a greater density of mononuclear cells in the bladder lamina propria and submucosa in methoxetamine-treated mice (43.0 ± 2.1 per 250 × 250 μm) than controls (7.1 ± 1.2 per 250 × 250 μm), p < 0.001. CD4-positive staining was seen in the bladder submucosa and lamina propria of all methoxetamine-treated mice and muscle-layer of two methoxetamine-treated mice; these changes were not seen in the control mice. There was an increase in sirius-red collagen in the bladder sub-mucosa and muscle-layer in the methoxetamine-treated mice compared with control mice.

DISCUSSION

This study has shown that 3 months of daily 30 mg/kg intra-peritoneal methoxetamine results in significant bladder and renal toxicity in mice. Changes in the bladder included inflammatory changes with subsequent fibrosis and changes in the kidney were seen at both a tubular and glomerular level. These changes are similar to those seen in comparable animal models of chronic ketamine administration. Further work is required to determine the time course of the onset of these effects and whether the effects are reversible with methoxetamine cessation.

Alcohol consumption and health status of family members: health impacts without ingestion

BACKGROUND

Over several decades, many cohort studies from the medical epidemiology literature have observed that compared with abstainers, moderate drinkers experience lower risk for a range of diseases. It was very difficult to separate the hypothesised physiological protective effect of moderate drinking from its well-correlated confounders in observational study settings.

AIMS

To investigate the association between current alcohol consumption levels of randomly selected family members and the current self-reported health status of other members living within the same family, using a large-scale representative general population survey.

METHOD

Poisson regression models of the association between randomly selected key respondent alcohol consumption and health status of cohabiting family members using data from the 2008, 2009 and 2010 National Health Interview Surveys. Self-reported alcohol consumption of randomly selected key participants and self-reported health status of adult and child (parent reported) family members living in the same household were measured and compared.

RESULTS

After controlling for a large range of commonly reported confounders, inverse associations were evident between light and moderate alcohol consumption of key participants and the prevalence of adverse health status among their family members, including children.

CONCLUSIONS

The superior health status attributed to family members of light and moderate drinkers is highly likely to be spurious and due to residual confounding rather than physiologically protective effects of alcohol. Unaccounted for confounding is likely to underpin apparent 'protective effects' due to moderate drinking commonly reported from observational studies of all-cause mortality, heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases.

Val/Leu247 polymorphism of β2-glycoprotein I and thrombosis in Chinese patients with SLE

INTRODUCTION

To determine the polymorphism at position 247 of the β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) gene in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy controls in the Chinese Han Population and elucidate the relationship between β2GPI polymorphisms and anti-β2GPI levels, and furthermore investigate the correlation between β2GPI polymorphisms and thrombosis in patients with SLE.

METHODS

The β2GPI polymorphisms of 300 patients with SLE and 300 healthy controls were examined by single-specific-primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR), the efficacy of which was confirmed by sequencing technology. Anti-β2GPI antibodies were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. β2GPI polymorphisms associated with thrombosis and the presence of anti-β2GPI antibodies were also statistically evaluated with SPSS software.

RESULTS

The genotype expressions and the allele frequencies were obtained in both patients with SLE and healthy controls. The SLE patients with thrombosis had significantly higher frequencies of the VV genotype and V allele than those without thrombosis and the controls, and there were no differences in VV genotype and V allele expression between the SLE patients without thrombosis and the controls. In contrast, the presence of anti-β2GPI antibody was related to the VV genotype of β2GPI, and the anti-β2GPI-positive patients had obviously higher frequencies of the VV genotype than the negative ones and the controls.

CONCLUSION

The study results suggested that the V/V genotype and the V-encoding allele at position 247 of the β2GPI gene had strong correlation with the occurrence of thrombosis and the production of the anti-β2GPI antibodies, showing that the Val(247) β2GPI allele may be one of the genetic risk factors for the development of thrombosis in patients with SLE.

Investigation of the association of two candidate genes (H-FABP and PSMC1) with growth and carcass traits in Qinchuan beef cattle from China

Growth and carcass traits are economically important quality characteristics of beef cattle and are complex quantitative traits that are controlled by multiple genes. In this study, 2 candidate genes, H-FABP (encoding the heart fatty acid-binding protein) and PSMC1 (encoding the proteasome 26S subunit of ATPase 1) were investigated in Qinchuan beef cattle of China. PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing methods were used to detect mutations in the H-FABP and PSMC1 genes in Qinchuan cattle, and a T>C mutation in exon 1 of H-FABP and a T>C mutation in exon 9 of PSMC1 were identified. The association of these 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms with growth and carcass traits of Qinchuan cattle was analyzed. The T>C mutation in H-FABP was significantly associated with body length and dressing percentage (P < 0.05) and the T>C mutation in PSMC1 with body length and hip width (P < 0.05), indicating that both of the 2 mutations in H-FABP and PSMC1 had effects on growth and carcass traits in the Qinchuan beef cattle breed. Thus, the results of our study suggest that the H-FABP and PSMC1 gene polymorphisms could be used as genetic markers in marker-assisted selection for improving Qinchuan beef cattle.

Knockdown of Bmi1 inhibits the stemness properties and tumorigenicity of human bladder cancer stem cell-like side population cells

B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion site 1 (Bmi1) is directly involved in cell growth, proliferation and self-renewal of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The aim of the present study was to assess the role of Bmi1 in the maintenance of stemness properties and tumorigenicity of human bladder CSC-like side population (SP) cells. SP cells were sorted by flow cytometry using Hoechst 33342 staining. Bmi1 mRNA and protein expression in SP and non-SP (NSP) cells was analyzed by quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence and western blotting. The stemness properties of SP cells included cell proliferation, migration, self-renewal, chemotherapy resistance and cell cycle progression were assessed. Tumor formation was also assessed in human bladder cancer xenografts after Bmi1 silencing. The mRNA expression of Bmi1 was upregulated in SP cells when compared with that in the NSP cells. Knockdown of Bmi1 in SP cells resulted in inhibition of cell proliferation, migration and tumor sphere formation, enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin, and cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. Bmi1 knockdown inhibited cell cycle progression through derepression of the p16INK4a/p14ARF locus. Bmi1-siRNA SP cells failed to produce tumors in recipient mice, while typical urothelial carcinoma formed from subcutaneously injected scramble-siRNA SP cells. Bmi1 is crucial for the maintenance of stemness properties and tumorigenicity of human bladder CSC-like cells. Bmi1 may be a potential therapeutic target for the eradication of CSCs in bladder cancer.