Applicability and reproducibility of the CPAT-grading system for pancreas allograft thrombosis

Pancreatic Allograft Thrombosis: Implementation of the CPAT-Grading System in a Retrospective Series of Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplantation

Pancreatic graft thrombosis (PAT) is a major surgical complication, potentially leading to graft loss. The recently proposed Cambridge Pancreas Allograft Thrombosis (CPAT) grading system provides diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic recommendations. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively assess computed tomography angiography (CTA) examinations performed routinely in simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) recipients to implement the CPAT grading system and to study its association with the recipients' outcomes. We retrospectively studied 319 SPK transplant recipients, who underwent a routine CTA within the first 7 postoperative days. Analysis of the CTA scans revealed PAT in 215 patients (106 grade 1, 85 grade 2, 24 grade 3), while 104 showed no signs. Demographic data of the patients with and without PAT (thrombosis and non-thrombosis group) were not significantly different, except for the higher number of male donors in the thrombosis group. Pancreatic graft survival was significantly shorter in the thrombosis group. Graft loss due to PAT was significantly associated with grade 2 and 3 thrombosis, while it did not differ for recipients with grade 0 or grade 1 thrombosis. In conclusion, the CPAT grading system was successfully implemented in a large series of SPK transplant recipients and proved applicable in clinical practice.

MAPK1 Is Regulated by LOC102188416/miR-143-3p Axis in Dairy Goat Mammary Epithelial Cells

MicroRNA-143-3p (miR-143-3p) is one of the miRNAs involved in the growth of goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs). In this study, Illumina/Solexa sequencing was performed to establish the lncRNA database in Laoshan dairy goats. Using the lncRNA database, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulated by miR-143-3p were screened. In total, 4899 lncRNAs were identified, with 173 lncRNAs being differentially expressed in all three replicates. The target genes of the differentially expressed lncRNAs were annotated in GO terms and KEGG pathways. Among the differentially expressed lncRNAs, lncRNA LOC102188416 was predicted to sponge miR-143-3p and share MAPK1 as a common target gene with miR-143-3p, which was validated by dual luciferase reporter assay system and qRT-PCR. The miR-143-3p mimic significantly lowered the relative luciferase activity of psiCHECK2-LOC102188416 wildtype vector but not mutated vector, suggesting that lncRNA LOC102188416 might be a sponge of miR-143-3p, which was verified by the promotion role of lncRNA LOC102188416 siRNA (siR-LOC102188416) in the expression of miR-143-3p. It was shown that the expression of MAPK1 was downregulated by either miR-143-3p mimic or siR-LOC102188416, indicating that miR-143-3p and lncRNA LOC102188416 had a coregulatory effect on MAPK1 expression. The co-transfection of miR-143-3p inhibitor with siR-LOC102188416 reversed the decrease of MAPK1 expression regulated by siR-LOC102188416 alone, strengthening the existence of lncRNA LOC102188416/miR-143-3p/MAPK1 axis in GMECs of Laoshan dairy goats.

Transcriptome Analysis Revealed Long Non-Coding RNAs Associated with mRNAs in Sheep Thyroid Gland under Different Photoperiods

The thyroid gland is a vital endocrine organ involved in the reproduction of animals via the regulation of hormone synthesis and secretion. LncRNAs have been proven to play important roles in reproductive regulation; however, the associated mechanism in the thyroid gland has not been clarified. In this study, we investigated to identify photoperiod-induced lncRNAs and mRNAs in the thyroid gland in Sunite ewes by comparing the expression profiles of short photoperiod (SP) and long photoperiods (LP). A total of 41,088 lncRNAs were identified in the thyroid gland through RNA-Seq. Functional analysis of differentially expressed lncRNAs using the R package revealed that reproductive hormone- and photoperiod response-related pathways, including the prolactin signaling, cAMP signaling, and circadian rhythm pathways, were significantly enriched. An mRNA-lncRNA interaction analysis suggested that the lncRNA LOC1056153S88 trans targets ARG2 and CCNB3, and the lncRNA LOC105607004 trans targets DMXL2, both of these might be involved in seasonal sheep breeding reproduction. Together, these results will provide resources for further studies on seasonal reproduction in sheep.