GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis promotes cardiac remodeling in pressure overload

BACKGROUND

Gasdermin D (GSDMD) forms membrane pores to execute pyroptosis. But the mechanism of how cardiomyocyte pyroptosis induces cardiac remodeling in pressure overload remains unclear. We investigated the role of GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in the pathogenesis of cardiac remodeling in pressure overload.

METHODS

Wild-type (WT) and cardiomyocyte-specific GSDMD-deficient (GSDMD-CKO) mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) to induce pressure overload. Four weeks after surgery, left ventricular structure and function were evaluated by echocardiographic, invasive hemodynamic and histological analysis. Pertinent signaling pathways related to pyroptosis, hypertrophy and fibrosis were investigated by histochemistry, RT-PCR and western blotting. The serum levels of GSDMD and IL-18 collected from healthy volunteers or hypertensive patients were measured by ELISA.

RESULTS

We found TAC induced cardiomyocyte pyroptosis and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-18. The serum GSDMD level was significantly higher in hypertensive patients than in healthy volunteers, and induced more dramatic release of mature IL-18. GSDMD deletion remarkably mitigated TAC-induced cardiomyocyte pyroptosis. Furthermore, GSDMD deficiency in cardiomyocytes significantly reduced myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. The deterioration of cardiac remodeling by GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis was associated with activating JNK and p38 signaling pathways, but not ERK or Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our results demonstrate that GSDMD serves as a key executioner of pyroptosis in cardiac remodeling induced by pressure overload. GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis activates JNK and p38 signaling pathways, and this may provide a new therapeutic target for cardiac remodeling induced by pressure overload.

Deep learning for the early identification of periodontitis: a retrospective, multicentre study

AIM

To develop a deep-learning model to help general dental practitioners diagnose periodontitis accurately and at an early stage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, the panoramic radiographs (PARs) from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were input into the convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture to establish the PAR-CNN model for healthy controls and periodontitis patients. Then, the PARs from the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were included in the second testing set to validate the effectiveness of the model with data from two centres. Heat maps were produced using a gradient-weighted class activation mapping method to visualise the regions of interest of the model. The accuracy and time required to read the PARs were compared between the model, periodontal experts, and general dental practitioners. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) were used to evaluate the performance of the model.

RESULTS

The AUC of the PAR-CNN model was 0.843, and the AUC of the second test set was 0.793. The heat map showed that the regions of interest predicted by the model were periodontitis bone lesions. The accuracy of the model, periodontal experts, and general dental practitioners was 0.800, 0.813, and 0.693, respectively. The time required to read each PAR by periodontal experts (6.042 ± 1.148 seconds) and general dental practitioners (13.105 ± 3.153 seconds), which was significantly longer than the time required by the model (0.027 ± 0.002 seconds).

CONCLUSION

The ability of the CNN model to diagnose periodontitis approached the level of periodontal experts. Deep-learning methods can assist general dental practitioners to diagnose periodontitis quickly and accurately.

TAK1 Activation by NLRP3 Deficiency Confers Cardioprotection Against Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiomyocyte Pyroptosis and Hypertrophy

A comprehensive view of the role of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy is presented in this study. Furthermore, mitigation of NLRP3 deficiency-induced pyroptosis confers cardioprotection against pressure overload through activation of TAK1, whereas this salutary effect is abolished by inhibition of TAK1 activity, highlighting a previously unrecognized reciprocally regulatory role of NLRP3-TAK1 governing inflammation-induced cell death and hypertrophic growth. Translationally, this study advocates strategies based on inflammation-induced cell death might be exploited therapeutically in other inflammatory and mechanical overload disorders, such as myocardial infarction and mitral regurgitation.

A resonant sextuplet of sub-Neptunes transiting the bright star HD 110067

Planets with radii between that of the Earth and Neptune (hereafter referred to as 'sub-Neptunes') are found in close-in orbits around more than half of all Sun-like stars1,2. However, their composition, formation and evolution remain poorly understood3. The study of multiplanetary systems offers an opportunity to investigate the outcomes of planet formation and evolution while controlling for initial conditions and environment. Those in resonance (with their orbital periods related by a ratio of small integers) are particularly valuable because they imply a system architecture practically unchanged since its birth. Here we present the observations of six transiting planets around the bright nearby star HD 110067. We find that the planets follow a chain of resonant orbits. A dynamical study of the innermost planet triplet allowed the prediction and later confirmation of the orbits of the rest of the planets in the system. The six planets are found to be sub-Neptunes with radii ranging from 1.94R⊕ to 2.85R⊕. Three of the planets have measured masses, yielding low bulk densities that suggest the presence of large hydrogen-dominated atmospheres.

OP0114 IDENTIFICATION AND FUNCTIONAL PREDICTION OF LONG NONCODING RNA RELATED TO CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE-ASSOCIATED INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASES

Background

Recently, the role of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in rheumatic immune diseases has attracted widespread attention1. However, knowledge of lncRNA in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) is limited.

Objectives

To explore the expression profile of lncRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of CTD-ILD patients and the possible mechanisms of significantly differentially expressed lncRNA involved in CTD-ILD, especially systemic sclerosis (SSc)-ILD and rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-ILD.

Methods

LncRNA microarray analysis was used to identify the pattern of lncRNA dysregulation between CTD-ILD and connective tissue disease without associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-NILD). Differential genes were identified by bioinformatic analysis. Relative expression levels of five differentially expressed lncRNAs in 120 SSc and RA patients with or without ILD were detected by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR).

Results

The differential gene expression analysis revealed 46 lncRNAs were upregulated while 194 lncRNAs were downregulated in the CTD-ILD group compared to the CTD-NILD group (Figure 1). Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses identified several significant biological processes and signaling pathways, including NF-kappa B signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, B cell receptor signaling pathway. QRT-PCR confirmed that the selected target genes were differentially expressed in different groups. In particular, the ENST00000604692 expression level was significantly higher in the ILD than the NILD group (p<0.05, Figure 1); T311354 and arginase-1were significantly higher in SSc than RA group; Furthermore, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve for ENST00000604692 in predicting ILD from NILD was 0.797 (Figure 1).

Conclusion

This research has demonstrated, for the first time, the specific profile of lncRNA in PBMCs of CTD-ILD patients and the potential signal pathways related to the pathogenesis of CTD-ILD. ENST00000604692 can effectively distinguish ILD group from NILD group,which may be a diagnostic indicator of CTD-ILD, especially SSc-ILD and RA-ILD.

References

[1]Guo CJ, Xu G, Chen LL. Mechanisms of Long Noncoding RNA Nuclear Retention. Trends Biochem Sci (2020) 45(11):947-60. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2020.07.001.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

AB0011 EXPRESSION PROFILE AND POTENTIAL FUNCTION OF CIRCRNAS IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS FROM PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY GOUT

Background:

Autophagy is a phenomenon of “self-phagocytosis” in eukaryotic cells, which maintains cell homeostasis by transporting intracellular materials to lysosomes for degradation and recycling. In recent years, studies have shown that autophagy may be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis(RA)[1], but its specific mechanism is still unclear.

Objectives:

The expression levels of autophagy-related genes(ATG) unc-51-like kinase 1(ULK1), ATG13, ATG17, microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), and P62 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with RA were detected, and their role and clinical significance in the pathogenesis of RA were explored.

Methods:

Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was performed to detect the expression levels of ULK1, ATG13, ATG17, LC3, and P62 in PBMCs of 50 RA patients, 50 healthy controls (HC), and 25 moderate to severe RA patients before and after treatment. Then, t test, χ2 test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson test were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

1.The levels of hsCRP, white blood cell(WBC), neutrophils(GR), platelet(PLT) and plateletcrit(PCT) in RA group were higher than those in HC group (P <0.05). Lymphocytes (LY), red blood cell(RBC), hemoglobin(HGB), hematocrit(HCT), mean corpuscular hemoglobin(MCH), mean red blood cell volume(MCV) and mean red blood cell hemoglobin concentration(MCHC) in RA group were lower than those in HC group (P <0.05). 2.The expressions of ULK1, ATG17, and LC3 in RA group were higher than those in HC group, while the expressions of P62 was lower than those in HC group(P<0.05) (Figure 1). The correlation analysis suggested that ATG17 was positively correlated with tender joint count (TJC), swollen joint count (SJC), and health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) (P<0.05); ULK1 and HAQ were negatively correlated (P<0.05).3. Compared with before treatment with TNFi, ATG17, HAQ, DAS-28, ESR, hsCRP, WBC, GR, PLT and PCT were significantly reduced after treatment (P<0.05); the expressions of RBC, HCT, MCV and MCH were significantly increased after treatment,(P<0.05); ULK1, ATG13, LC3, P62 and other related clinical and laboratory indicators were not significantly different before and after treatment with TNFi (P>0.05).

Figure 1.

The expression levels of ATGs in HC and RA groups.

Conclusion:

There is abnormal expression of autophagy genes in the peripheral blood of RA patients. ULK1, ATG17, LC3 and P62 may be related to the pathogenesis of RA, among them, ATG17 may regulate the pathogenesis of RA by participating in the TNF-α pathway.

References:

[1]Rockel Jason S,Kapoor Mohit,Autophagy: controlling cell fate in rheumatic diseases.[J].Nat Rev Rheumatol, 2016, 12: 517-31.

Disclosure of Interests:

Yu-Feng Qing Grant/research support from: Science and Technology Project of Nanchong City (no.18SXHZ0522), Fei Dai: None declared, Quan-Bo Zhang Grant/research support from: the National Natural Science Foundation of China(General Program) (no.81974250), and Science and Technology Plan Project of Sichuan Province (no.2018JY0257), Yi-Ping Tang: None declared, Zeng-Rong Dong: None declared, Yi-Xi He: None declared, Yi Jiang: None declared, Yu-Qin Huang: None declared, Jianxiong Zheng: None declared

AB0075 HSA_CIRC_0012732, HSA_CIRC_0008961, HSA_CIRC_0405239 AND HSA_CIRC_0068784 MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN THE PATHOGENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS

Background:

CircRNAs have been found to be involved in the occurrence and development of many rheumatic diseases[1-2]. Are circRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS)? How do these circRNAs participate in the pathogenesis of AS? This all needs further study.

Objectives:

This study is to clarify the expression levels of hsa_circ_0012732, hsa_circ_0008961, hsa_circ_0405239 and hsa_circ_0068784 in the peripheral blood of AS patients, and to explore whether these circRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of AS.

Methods:

To collected 60 cases of AS (30 cases of active AS (ASA): BASDA> 6 or 6> BASDAI> 4, ESR> 22mm / h or 6> BASDAI> 4, hsCRP> 9mg / L; 30 cases of stable AS (ASS): BASDAI <4) and 30 health control (HC) peripheral blood samples, related clinical and laboratory indicators. The relative expression levels of hsa_circ_0012732, hsa_circ_0008961, hsa_circ_0405239 and hsa_circ_0068784 in each group were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The relationships between the 4 circRNAs and clinical and laboratory indicators were explored by correlation analysis.

Results:

1. The qPCR results suggested that the expression of hsa_circ_0012732 between the ASA and ASS groups was statistically significant (p<0.05), and the expression of hsa_circ_0008961 was statistically significant between the ASA and HC groups (p<0.05). Howeverthere was no statistical significance among other groups (p>0.05)Figure 1. Similarly, the expression level of hsa_circ_0405239 was not statistically significant among the groups (p>0.05), and the same was true for hsa_circ_0068784 (p>0.05).

2. Correlation analysis results (Figure 2) showed that hsa_circ_0012732 is positively correlated with lymphocyte count (LY), mean corpusular volume (MCV), albumin (ALB), and negatively correlated with Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI), Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), Globulin (GLOB) (p<0.05); hsa_circ_0008961 is negatively correlated with platelet (PLT) (p<0.05); hsa_circ_0405239 is negatively correlated with BASDAI and BASFI; hsa_circ_0068784 was negatively correlated with BASDAI (p<0.05); and there was no statistically significant (p>0.05) between these 4 circRNAs and other indicators.

Conclusion:

Hsa_circ_0012732, hsa_circ_0008961, hsa_circ_0405239 and hsa_circ_0068784 may be related to the pathogenesis of AS. Among them, hsa_circ_0012732 may be involved in AS inflammation and has the potential to participate in the judgment of disease activity.

References:

[1]LS, K., et al., The biogenesis, biology and characterization of circular RNAs. 2019. 20(11): p. 675-691.

[2]J, W., et al., Non-coding RNAs in Rheumatoid Arthritis: From Bench to Bedside. 2019. 10: p. 3129.

Disclosure of Interests:

Yi-Ping Tang Grant/research support from: Science and Technology Project of Nanchong City (18SXHZ0522)., Yu-Feng Qing: None declared, Zeng-Rong Dong: None declared, Fei Dai: None declared, Jianxiong Zheng: None declared, Yi Jiang: None declared, Yi-Xi He: None declared, Quan-Bo Zhang Grant/research support from: National Natural Science Foundation of China(General Program) (81974250); Science and Technology Plan Project of Sichuan Province (2018JY0257)

AB0449 CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND RISK FACTORS OF SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS WITH HEMATOLOGIC SYSTEM DAMAGES

Background:

SSc characterized by varying degrees of fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, clinicians pay more attention to skin and viscera conditions, tend to ignore hematologic system damage. Studies have shown that rheumatic disease such as SLE, RA, pSS often accompanied with hematologic system damages, and hematologic system damages is multiple organ involvement and risk factor of poor prognosis[1-2].

Objectives:

To investigate the the clinical features, laboratory characteristics and risk factors of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patient with hematologic system damages.

Methods:

The clinical data of 180 patients were collected from January 2010 to April 2020, at the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College. The demographic information, laboratory tests, and clinical symptoms were analyzed retrospectively.

Results:

Among 180 SSc patients, 70(38.9%) cases were complicated with hematologic system damages. 51(72.9%) cases had anemia, 24 cases (34.3%) had leukopenia, 24 cases (34.3%) had thrombocytopenia, and 22 cases had hematologic system damages associated with more than two cell line involvement. Clinical symptoms: arthritis was significantly higher in the hematologic system damages group than patient without (P<0.05), however, there was no significantly difference in gender, age, disease course, respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, Raynaud’s phenomenon, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension (all P>0.05). Laboratory tests: ESR and hsCRP were increased in the hematologic system damages group, while the albumin decreased (all P<0.05). The positive rates of resistance to anti-dsDNA antibody and anti-ribosomal P protein antibody was higher in the hematologic system damages group (all P<0.05). Prognosis: During follow-up, leukopenia was more likely to recover, while the thrombocytopenia was more difficult to recover. Logistics regression analysis showed that positive of anti-ribosomal P protein antibody maght be a risk factor for SSc complicated with hematologic system damages [OR = 3.930(P<0.05)] (Table 1).

Conclusion:

SSc complicated with hematologic system damages is common, and patients with hematologic system damages have more serious clinical symptoms, some of whom have difficulty in recovey. Anti-ribosomal P protein antibody may be a risk factor of SSc hematologic system damages.

Table 1.

Bivariate logistics regression analysis on risk factors associated with hematologic damages in SSc.

FactorBSEWaldOR(95%CI)P valuearthritis0.6540.3473.5431.922(0.973-3.797)0.060ESR-0.0810.4870.0280.922(0.355-2.393)0.868hsCRP-0.0070.4920.0000.993(0.379-2.607)0.989anti-dsDNA0.8680.6731.6642.393(0.637-8.916)0.197anti-Rib-P1.3690.6364.6333.930(1.130-13.666)0.031

References:

[1]González-Naranjo L A, Betancur O M, Alarcón G S, et al. Features associated with hematologic abnormalities and their impact in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: Data from a multiethnic Latin American cohort[J]. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, 2016,45(6):675-683.DOI:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2015.11.003.

[2]Skare T, Damin R, Hofius R. Prevalence of the American College of Rheumatology hematological classification criteria and associations with serological and clinical variables in 460 systemic lupus erythematosus patients[J]. Revista Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia, 2015,37(2):115-119.DOI:10.1016/j.bjhh.2015.01.006

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared.

POS1146 NONCODING RNA CONTRIBUTE TO PATHOGENESIS IN PRIMARY GOUTY ARTHRITIS

Background:

Gout is an arthritic disease caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystal (MSU) in the joints, which can lead to acute inflammation and damage adjacent tissue [1].Over the past decade, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been shown to have crucial importance in health and disease[2,3]. However, studies evaluating the function of ncRNAs in gout are scarce, and current knowledge of the role of ncRNAs in gout is still limited.

Objectives:

To assess the contribution of noncoding RNAs to gout and the clinical importance of these genes in primary gouty arthritis (GA).

Methods:

The mRNA expression levels of noncoding RNAs (LINC00173, LINC00963, LINC01330 and miRNA-182-5p) were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 60 gout patients(including 30 acute gout patients, 30 intercritical gout patients) and 40 healthy subjects. The relationship between noncoding RNA expression levels and laboratory features was analyzed in GA patients.

Results:

The expression levels of LINC00173, LINC00963 and miRNA-182-5p were much lower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (p<0.05), and no significant difference was detected between AG and IG groups(P>0.05). The expression levels of LINC01330 were much lower in the AG group than in the IG and HC groups (p<0.05), and no significant difference was detected between AG and IG groups(P>0.05). In GA patients, the levels of noncoding RNAs mRNA correlated with laboratory inflammatory and metabolic indexes.

Conclusion:

Altered noncoding RNAs expression suggests that noncoding RNAs is involved in the pathogenesis of GA and participates in regulating inflammation and metabolism.

References:

[1]Xu Yi-Ting,Leng Ying-Rong,Liu Ming-Ming et al. MicroRNA and long noncoding RNA involvement in gout and prospects for treatment.[J].Int Immunopharmacol, 2020, 87: 106842.doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2020.106842

[2]Yu Yunfang,Zhang Wenda,Li Anlin et al. Association of Long Noncoding RNA Biomarkers With Clinical Immune Subtype and Prediction of Immunotherapy Response in Patients With Cancer.[J].JAMA Netw Open, 2020, 3: e202149.doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2149

[3]Zou Yaoyao,Xu Siqi,Xiao Youjun et al. Long noncoding RNA LERFS negatively regulates rheumatoid synovial aggression and proliferation.[J].J Clin Invest, 2018, 128: 4510-4524.doi:10.1172/JCI97965

Figure 1.

Relative Expression of noncoding RNAs in the PBMCs of Patients.

Disclosure of Interests:

Quan-Bo Zhang Grant/research support from: the National Natural Science Foundation of China(General Program) (no.81974250) and Science and Technology Plan Project of Sichuan Province (no.2018JY0257), Yu-Qin Huang: None declared, Fan-Ni Xiao: None declared, gui-lin jian: None declared, Yi-Ping Tang: None declared, Fei Dai: None declared, Jian-Xiong Zheng: None declared, Yu-Feng Qing Grant/research support from: Science and Technology Project of Nanchong City (no.18SXHZ0522).

POS0430 EXPRESSION AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF AUTOPHAGY-RELATED GENES IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS OF SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS

Background:

Growing evidences have demonstrated that autophagy is a powerful regulators in the pathogenesis of fibrosis and autoimmune diseases. Autophagy abnormalities in SSc involve abnormal autophagy-related protein and autophagy-related gene polymorphism[1-2], however there is a few reports on the expression and clinical significance of autophagy-related genes.

Objectives:

To investigate the expression and clinical significance of autophagy-related genes LC-3 mRNA, Becline-1 mRNA, Agt-3 mRNA, Agt-5 mRNA, Agt-12 mRNA and Agt-16L1 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods:

51 cases of SSc and 60 cases of normal control were received from the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, and autophagy-related genes were detected by RT-PCR. SPSS19.0 statistical software was used to compare the expression of autophagy-related genes between groups and analyze the relationship between autophagy-related genes and clinical data, P<0.05 was considered statistically significant

Results:

LC-3, Becline-1, and Agt-3 were highly expressed in SSc compared with normal control [LC-3: 0.78(0.60) ×10-3 vs. 0.52(0.54) ×10-3; Beclin-1: 6.68(3.56)×10-3 vs. 5.22(3.54)×10-3; Agt-3: 17.58(12.33)×10-3 vs. 11.00(4.56)×10-3, P<0.05], however Agt-5, Agt-12 and Agt-16L1 of autophagy-related genes were not statistically significant [AGT-5: 6.67(3.58) ×10-3 vs. 6.67(2.64) ×10-3; AGT-12: 8.64(5.56)×10-3 vs. 8.57(4.66)×10-3; Agt-16L1: 2.69(2.19)×10-3 vs. 2.52(2.26)×10-3] (Figure 1). Beclin-1 and Agt-5 high expressed in SSc with the positive of anti-SSA/Ro antibody. LC-3 was positively correlated with Age(r=0.662) and ESR(r=0.355) (all P<0.05).

Conclusion:

Autophagy-related genes were increased in PBMC of SSc, and were correlated with Age, ESR and autoantibody, suggested that autophagy is a key feature in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis.

Figure 1.

The relative expression of autophagy-related genes

References:

[1]LIU C, ZHOU X, LU J, et al. Autophagy mediates 2-methoxyestradiol-inhibited scleroderma collagen synthesis and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition induced by hypoxia[J]. Rheumatology, 2019;58(11):1966–1975.

[2]Mayes M D, Bossini-Castillo L, Gorlova O, et al. Immunochip Analysis Identifies Multiple Susceptibility Loci for Systemic Sclerosis[J]. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 2014,94(1):47-61.DOI:10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.12.002.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Caspase-1 Abrogates the Salutary Effects of Hypertrophic Preconditioning in Pressure Overload Hearts via IL-1β and IL-18

Cardiac hypertrophic preconditioning (HP) signifies cardioprotection induced by transient pressure overload to resist hypertrophic effects of subsequently sustained pressure overload. Although it is recently found that inflammation triggers the development of nonischemic cardiomyopathy, whether inflammation plays a role in the antecedent protective effects of HP remains unknown. Caspase-1 is a critical proinflammatory caspase that also induces pyroptosis; thus, we investigated the role of caspase-1 using a unique model of HP in mice subjected longitudinally to 3 days of transverse aortic constriction (TAC 3d), 4 days of de-constriction (De-TAC 4d), and 4 weeks of Re-TAC (Re-TAC 4W). Echocardiography, hemodynamics, histology, PCR, and western blot confirmed preserved cardiac function, alleviated myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, and less activated hypertrophic signaling effectors in Re-TAC 4W mice, compared with TAC 4W mice. Mechanistically, caspase-1 and its downstream targets IL-1β and IL-18, but not GSDMD, were less activated in Re-TAC 4W mice. Furthermore, in HP mice with AAV-9-mediated cardiac-specific caspase-1 overexpression, the salutary effects of HP were remarkably abrogated, as evidenced by exacerbated cardiac remodeling, dysfunction, and activation of IL-1β and IL-18. Collectively, this study revealed a previously unrecognized involvement of caspase-1 in cardiac HP by regulation of IL-1β and IL-18 and shed light on caspase-1 as an antecedent indicator and target for cardiac hypertrophy.

Gene mapping reveals the association between tyrosine protein kinase Abl1 and the silk yield of Bombyx mori

The Z chromosome of the silkworm contains a major gene that influences silk yield. This major locus on chromosome Z accounts for 35.10% of the phenotypic variance. The location and identification of the gene have been a focus of silkworm genetics research. Unfortunately, identification of this gene has been difficult. We used extreme phenotype subpopulations and selected from a backcross population, BC₁ M, which was obtained using the high-yield strain 872B and the low-yield strain IS-Dazao as parents, for mapping the gene on the chromosome Z. The candidate region was narrowed down to 134 kb at the tip of the chromosome. BmAbl1 in this region correlated with silk gland development by spatiotemporal expression analysis. This gene was differentially expressed in the posterior silk glands of the high- and low-yield strains. In BmAbl1, an insertion-deletion (indel) within the 10th exonic region and an SNP within the 6th intronic region were detected and shown to be associated with cocoon shell weight in 84 Bombyx mori strains with different yields. Nucleotide diversity analysis of BmAbl1 and its 50 kb flanking regions indicated that BmAbl1 has experienced strong artificial selection during silkworm domestication. This study is the first to identify the genes controlling silk yield in the major QTL of the Z chromosome using forward genetics.

Analysis of changes in circular RNA expression and construction of ceRNA networks in human dilated cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a severe life-threatening disease worldwide, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in various cardiovascular diseases and can function as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). However, their role in human DCM has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, heart samples from DCM patients and healthy controls were used to identify circRNAs by RNA sequencing. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to validate differentially expressed circRNAs and mRNAs. A total of 9585 circRNAs and 22050 mRNAs were detected in the two groups. Overall, 213 circRNAs and 617 mRNAs were significantly up-regulated in the DCM group compared with the control group. Similarly, 85 circRNAs and 1125 mRNAs were significantly down-regulated. According to the ceRNA theory, circRNAs can indirectly interact with mRNAs by directly binding to microRNAs (miRNAs), and circRNAs and mRNAs should be concurrently either up-regulated or down-regulated. Based on this theory, we constructed two circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks by using the RNA sequencing data and prediction by proprietary software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to probe the potential functions of differentially expressed circRNAs. In conclusion, this study revealed that the expression of cardiac circRNAs was altered in human DCM and explored the potential functions of circRNAs by constructing ceRNA networks. These findings provide a foundation for future studies of circRNAs in DCM.

Variations in Energy Metabolism Precede Alterations in Cardiac Structure and Function in Hypertrophic Preconditioning

Recent studies have unveiled that myocardial hypertrophic preconditioning (HP), which is produced by de-banding (De-TAC) of short-term transverse aortic constriction (TAC), protects the heart against hypertrophic responses caused by subsequent re-constriction (Re-TAC) in mice. Although cardiac substrate metabolism is impaired in heart failure, it remains unclear about the role of HP-driven energetics in the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Here, we investigated energy metabolism, cardiac hypertrophy, and function following variational loading conditions, as well as their relationships in HP. Male C57BL/6J mice (10–12 weeks old) were randomly subjected to Sham, HP [TAC for 3days (TAC 3d), de-banding the aorta for 4 days (De-TAC 4d), and then re-banding the aorta for 4 weeks (Re-TAC 4W)], and TAC (TAC for 4 weeks without de-banding). Cardiac echocardiography, hemodynamics, and histology were utilized to evaluate cardiac remodeling and function. The mRNA expression levels of fetal genes (ANP and BNP), glucose metabolism-related genes (glut4, pdk4), and fatty acid oxidation-related genes (mcad, pgc1α, mcd, pparα) were quantitated by real-time quantitative PCR. Activation of hypertrophy regulators ERK1/2, a metabolic stress kinase AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and its downstream target acetyl-coA carboxylase (ACC) were explored by western blot. Compared with TAC 4W mice, Re-TAC 4W mice showed less impairment in glucose and fatty acid metabolism, as well as less cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction. Moreover, no significant difference was found in myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis, and cardiac function in TAC 3d and De-TAC 4d groups compared with Sham group. However, glut4, pdk4, mcad, pgc1α, mcd, and pparα were all decreased, while AMPK and ACC were activated in TAC 3d and returned to Sham level in De-TAC 4d, suggesting that the change in myocardial energy metabolism in HP mice was earlier than that in cardiac structure and function. Collectively, HP improves energy metabolism and delays cardiac remodeling, highlighting that early metabolic improvements drive a potential beneficial effect on structural and functional restoration in cardiac hypertrophy.

Poor sleep is associated with higher blood pressure and uterine artery pulsatility index in pregnancy: a prospective cohort study

Objective

To elucidate the association between sleep disturbances and blood pressure as well as uterine artery Doppler during pregnancy in women with no pre‐existing hypertension.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Outpatient specialist clinics at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore.

Population

Women with viable singleton pregnancies confirmed by ultrasonography at less than 14 weeks of amenorrhoea at first visit.

Methods

In all, 926 subjects were recruited for this study in the outpatient specialist clinics at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, between 1 September 2010 and 31 August 2014. They were followed up throughout pregnancy with sleep quality, blood pressure and uterine artery Doppler assessed at each visit.

Main outcome measures

Sleep quality, blood pressure and uterine artery Doppler.

Results

Sleep progressively worsened as pregnancy advanced. Shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep efficiency were associated with higher blood pressure, especially in the first trimester. Mixed model analysis demonstrated an overall positive association between sleep quality represented by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (P < 0.001) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (P = 0.005) during pregnancy after considering all trimesters. Sleep duration was found to be negatively associated with both systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P = 0.029) and DBP (P = 0.002), whereas sleep efficiency was negatively correlated with DBP (P = 0.002) only. Overall poor sleep during pregnancy was also found to be associated with a higher uterine artery pulsatility index.

Conclusion

Our prospective study demonstrated that poor sleep quality is significantly associated with higher blood pressure and uterine artery pulsatility index during pregnancy.

Tweetable abstract

Poor sleep quality is significantly associated with higher blood pressure and higher uterine artery pulsatility index during pregnancy.

Poor sleep quality is significantly associated with higher blood pressure and higher uterine artery pulsatility index during pregnancy.

[The role of nitric oxide in the inhibitory effects of exogenous hydrogen sulfide on rat colonic smooth muscle contraction]

Objective: To investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S)-induced inhibition upon colonic smooth muscle contraction. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was applied to observe the distribution of H(2)S-producing enzymes CBS and CSE in adult male Wistar rats. Organ bath system was used to observe the spontaneous contraction of colonic smooth muscle. Patch clamp technique was applied to record currents of L-type calcium channel (I(Ca,L)) in smooth muscle cells. Results: Specific immunoreactivity for CSE and CBS was observed in mucosa, smooth muscle and enteric plexus of rat proximal colon. NaHS elicited relaxation in a concentration-dependent manner upon muscle contraction in the presence of tetrodotoxin. The NaHS IC(50) of LM was 917.6 μmol/L (95% CI: 776.3-1 085 μmol/L, n=6) and the NaHS IC(50) of CM was 730.4 μmol/L (95% CI: 592.2-900.8 μmol/L, n=6). The SNP-induced relaxation in muscle strips was partially reversed by NaHS (P<0.05). Instead, the relaxation caused by NaHS was decreased by the sGC inhibitor ODQ but affected neither by NO precursor L-arginine, the NO inhibitor L-NNA nor the competitive cGMP antagonist PET-cGMP. NaHS (100 μmol/L) increased I(Ca,L) while NaHS (300 μmol/L) decreased the peak I(Ca,L) with modifying the ion channel characteristics (P<0.05). Conclusions: Exogenous hydrogen sulfide might have a dual effect on colonic motility and its inhibitory effect might be independent of NO signaling system. L-type calcium channel may play an important role during the process of H(2)S modulating colonic contraction.

[rmIL-33-stimulated nuocytes promote allergic inflammation in mouse model of allergic rhinitis]

Objective:The study aimed to investigate the role of nuocytes in allergic rhinitis （AR） murine models. Method:After intranasal administration of recombinant （rm） interleukin （IL）-33 in BALB/c mice, nuocytes were sorted and purified from the mouse nasal-associated lymphoid tissue （NALT）. Then, we examined the response of nuocytes to rmIL-33 in vitro. After a murine model of AR was established using ovalbumin, we adoptively transferred the cultured NALT-derived nuocytes to mice models, and determined allergic responses in them. Result:rmIL-33 expanded nuocytes in NALT of mice compared with AR mice （t=3.66, P<0.01）, and increased production of IL-13 from these cells in vitro in comparison with unstimulated nuocytes （t=19.90, P<0.000 1）. After adoptive transfer of nuocytes, sneezing （t=9.89, P<0.000 1） ,numbers of eosinophils（t=8.17, P<0.000 1）, concentrations of IL-13 （t=40.47, P<0.000 1） and IL-33 （t=19.89, P<0.000 1） in nasal lavage fluid were all enhanced when compared with AR mice. Conclusion:Nuocytes promote allergic inflammation in a murine model of AR.

Gender Differences in Cardiac Hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive response to abnormal physiological and pathological stimuli, which can be classified into concentric and eccentric hypertrophy, induced by pressure overload or volume overload, respectively. In both physiological and pathological scenarios, females generally show a more favorable form of hypertrophy compared with their male counterparts. However once established, cardiac hypertrophy is a stronger risk factor for heart failure in females. Pre-menopausal women are better protected against cardiac hypertrophy compared with men, but this protection is abolished following menopause and is partially restored after estrogen replacement therapy. Estrogen exerts its protection by counteracting pro-hypertrophy signaling pathways, whereas androgen mostly plays an opposite role in cardiac hypertrophy. We here summarize the progress in the understanding of sexual dimorphisms in cardiac hypertrophy and highlight recent breakthroughs in the regulatory role of sex hormones and their intricate molecular networks, in order to shed light on gender-oriented therapeutic efficacy for pathological hypertrophy.

Differences of the immune cell landscape between normal and tumor tissue in human prostate

BACKGROUND

Over the past few decades, immunological checkpoint therapy has been an increasingly prominent strategy in the treatment of tumors, including prostate cancer (PC). There are few systematic studies of the phenotypic of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in PC tissues.

METHODS

CIBERSORT is an analytical tool for estimating the abundance of member cell types in mixed cell population by gene expression data. Herein, we analyzed different levels of tumor-infiltrating immunity cells in normal tissue compared with PC using CIBERSORT.

RESULTS

The results showed that proportion of M1 macrophages and resting mast cells presented significant differences in prostate tumor than these normal tissues. A higher proportion of resting mast cells was associated with a worse outcome and M1 macrophages was associated with a favorable outcome. Moreover, the radiotherapy and targeted molecular therapy can affect the immune infiltration of M1 macrophages and resting mast cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Resting mast cells and M1 macrophages has an important role in the prognosis of prostate cancer. Our data provides valuable information about the future treatment of PC.

[Differentiation of naive T cells into Th2 cells induced by nuocyte cells in mice with allergic rhinitis]

Objective:The aim of this study is to examine whether nuocytes induced differentiation of primary T cells into Th2 cells in AR mice in vitro. Method:A murine model of AR on the background of BALB/c was established using ovalbumin, and nuocytes were sorted and purified from the mouse nasal associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) and cultured in vitro. Then, we assessed the expression of IL-4 in these cells. Mouse peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and Th2 cells and T cells were isolated for in vitro culture, and the percentage of T cells in Th2 cells was detected. Then, NALT-derived nuocyte cells cultured in vitro were added to the above-mentioned mouse T cell culture medium for co-culture. Result:Numbers of sneezing, nasal rubbing and eosinophils in nasal lavage fluid were all enhanced in AR mice compared to normal ones. We used flow cytometry analysis to identify nuocytes from mice NALT as CD3CD4CD8CD19CD11bCD11cFcεR1 (lineage)-ICOS+, and also found that the cells expressed IL-4, and its protein and mRNA were all increased in AR mice versus normal mice. After nuocytes were co-cultured with T-cell cultures, we determined the percentage of Th2 cells in total T cells, and found that the percentage was increased significantly. Conclusion:nuocyte cells may induce the differentiation of primary T cells into Th2 cells in AR mice through IL-4 pathway.

Downregulation of MiR-199b-5p Inducing Differentiation of Bone-Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs) Toward Cardiomyocyte-Like Cells via HSF1/HSP70 Pathway

BACKGROUND Bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are pluripotent stem cells with potent self-renewal and differentiation ability that are widely used in transplantation of cell therapy. But the mechanism on microRNA (miRNA) regulating stem cell differentiation is complicated and unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether miR-199b-5p is involved in differentiation of cardiomyocyte-like cells and identify potential signal pathways in BMSCs. MATERIAL AND METHODS Mouse BMSCs were treated with 5-azacytidine and transfected by miR-199b-5p mimic and inhibitor, respectively. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-199b-5p in BMSCs, 5-azacytidine treated BMSCs, and neonatal murine cardiomyocytes. The expression of cardiac specific genes and the HSF1/HSP70 signal pathway were examined by qRT-PCR or western blotting. The proliferation and migration of BMSCs were evaluated by CCK-8 assay and wound-healing assay. RESULTS The expression of miR-199b-5p decreased gradually in the process of differentiation of BMSCs toward cardiomyocyte-like cells. The expression of cardiac specific genes and HSF1/HSP70 were increased in the miR-199b-5p inhibitor group; however, the miR-199b-5p mimic group presented an opposite result. Both the miR-199b-5p inhibitor group and the miR-199b-5p mimic group had no influence on BMSCs proliferation and migration. Using lentivirus vectors bearing HSF1 shRNA to silence HSF1 and HSP70, the anticipated elevated expression effect of cardiac specific genes induced by miR-199b-5p inhibitor was suppressed. CONCLUSIONS Downregulation of miR-199b-5p induced differentiation of BMSCs toward cardiomyocyte-like cells partly via the HSF1/HSP70 signaling pathway, and had no influence on BMSCs proliferation and migration.

Allergic inflammation is exacerbated by allergen-induced type 2 innate lymphoid cells in a murine model of allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) represent a new innate effector leukocyte population that mediates type-2 immune response. However, the contribution of ILC2s to allergic rhinitis (AR) is currently not well defined.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the potential existence and function of allergen-induced ILC2s in the experimental AR.

METHODS

We established a murine model of AR using ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminium hydroxide. The OVA-induced ILC2s were sorted and purified from the mouse nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT). Then, we assessed ILC2s responses to mouse recombinant interleukin (rmIL)-25, anti-IL17RB antibody and CC chemokine ligand (CCL) 25 in the culture. After that, we adoptively transferred the NALT-derived ILC2s alone or plus rmIL-25 or anti-IL17RB antibody to the murine model of AR to investigate their role in the nasal allergic inflammation.

RESULTS

We showed that ILC2s could be induced by OVA in the NALT of AR model. They were induced to secrete IL-5 and IL-13 by rmIL-25, and blocking of IL17RB contributed to the decreased production of these cytokines in the culture. We found that CCL25 induced the NALT-derived ILC2s migration through CC chemokine receptor 9 on ILC2s in vitro. Numbers of sneezing and nasal rubbing as well as counts of invasive eosinophils were all enhanced after the adoptive transfer of cultured ILC2s in vitro. The expressions of IL-5, IL-13, IL-25 and CCL25 in the NLF of allergic mice were also increased.

CONCLUSION

These findings show that ILC2s play a proinflammatory role in the murine AR model, and also highlight ILC2s as a new target in the future AR therapy.

Role of heat shock transcription factor 1(HSF1)-upregulated macrophage in ameliorating pressure overload-induced heart failure in mice

In order to explore the role of macrophages in HSF1-mediated alleviation of heart failure, mice model of pressure overload-induced heart failure was established using transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Changes in cardiac function and morphology were studied in TAC and SHAM groups using ultrasonic device, tissue staining, electron microscopy, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-QPCR), and Western blotting. We found that mice in the TAC group showed evidence of impaired cardiac function and aggravation of fibrosis on ultrasonic and histopathological examination when compared to those in the SHAM group. The expressions of HSF1, LC3II/LC3I, Becline-1 and HIF-1, as well as autophagosome formation in TAC group were greater than that in SHAM group. On sub-group analyses in the TAC group, improved cardiac function and alleviation of fibrosis was observed in the HSF1 TG subgroup as compared to that in the wild type subgroup. Expressions of LC3II/LC3I, Becline-1 and HIF-1, too showed an obvious increase; and increased autophagosome formation was observed on electron microscopy. Opposite results were observed in the HSF1 KO subgroup. These results collectively suggest that in the pressure overload heart failure model, HSF1 promoted formation of macrophages by inducing upregulation of HIF-1 expression, through which heart failure was ameliorated.

Pathogenicity characteristics of Enterococcus faecium from diseased black bears

The death of several black bears at the black bear breeding base in Yunnan Pingbian Daweishan is a matter of concern. Multiple black bears exhibited decreased appetite or unusual waste, and some were soporific or suffered from vomiting and anhelation. In order to ascertain the cause of death, 16S rDNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis was performed on bacteria isolated from tissue samples obtained from dead bears. The biochemical characteristics of the isolated bacteria were subsequently analyzed using different biochemical test systems. The bacteria can decompose glucose, but it cannot produce gas. The fermentation study of sucrose, lactose, trehalose, glycerol and mannitol yielded positive results; while it was unable to decompose urea or ODC (ornithine decarboxylase). Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis of a ~1500-bp DNA product amplified from the 16S rDNA of the bacterial isolate revealed that Enterococcus faecium from black bears is highly similar to other E. faecium isolates in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database, and the highest sequence similarity (99%) was with the reference strain. In addition, mice infected with the E. faecium isolate succumbed to severe damage to the lungs, liver, spleen, myocardium, and kidney tissues. In summary, the isolated E. faecium from dead black bears induced pathological changes in mice.

Allergic inflammation is exacerbated by allergen-induced type 2 innate lymphoid cells in a murine model of allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) represent a new innate effector leukocyte population that mediates type-2 immune response. However, the contribution of ILC2s to allergic rhinitis (AR) is currently not well defined.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the potential existence and function of allergen-induced ILC2s in the experimental AR.

METHODS

We established a murine model of AR using ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminium hydroxide. The OVA-induced ILC2s were sorted and purified from the mouse nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT). Then, we assessed ILC2s responses to mouse recombinant interleukin (rmIL)-25, anti-IL17RB antibody and CC chemokine ligand (CCL) 25 in the culture. After that, we adoptively transferred the NALT-derived ILC2s alone or plus rmIL-25 or anti-IL17RB antibody to the murine model of AR to investigate their role in the nasal allergic inflammation.

RESULTS

We showed that ILC2s could be induced by OVA in the NALT of AR model. They were induced to secrete IL-5 and IL-13 by rmIL-25, and blocking of IL17RB contributed to the decreased production of these cytokines in the culture. We found that CCL25 induced the NALT-derived ILC2s migration through CC chemokine receptor 9 on ILC2s in vitro. Numbers of sneezing and nasal rubbing as well as counts of invasive eosinophils were all enhanced after the adoptive transfer of cultured ILC2s in vitro. The expressions of IL-5, IL-13, IL-25 and CCL25 in the NLF of allergic mice were also increased.

CONCLUSION

These findings show that ILC2s play a proinflammatory role in the murine AR model, and also highlight ILC2s as a new target in the future AR therapy.

Role of miR-199b-5p in regulating angiogenesis in mouse myocardial microvascular endothelial cells through HSF1/VEGF pathway

Our study explored effects of miR-199b-5p on angiogenesis in mouse myocardial microvascular endothelial cells (MMVECs) and the involved working mechanisms. We applied explant culture to incubate C57/BL6 mouse MMVECs. Lipofection was used to transfect miR-199b-5p mimic, miR-199b-5p inhibitor and miR-199b-5p scramble respectively. MMVECs were divided into miR-199b-5p up-regulation, miR-199b-5p down-regulation and control groups based on above sequence. Expressions of miR-199b-5p, heat shock factor protein 1 (HSF1) mRNA were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-QPCR). Expressions of HSF1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were assessed by Western Blotting. Cell proliferation was assessed by CCK8. Tubule formation assay was conducted to assess formation of blood vessels. Results showed that miR-199b-5p up/down-regulation groups exhibited no obvious differences in the expressions of HSF1 mRNA compared to control group. However, miR-199b-5p up-regulation group recorded lower expressions of HSF1 and VEGF in the level of protein, and reduced cell proliferation and tubule formation. Whereas, miR-199b-5p down-regulation group presented the contrary results. The experiment indicated that miR-199b-5p can regulate proliferation and angiogenesis in mouse MMVECs through the pathway of HSF1/VEGF.

Role of HSF1-upregulated AC6 in ameliorating heart failure in mice

PURPOSE

Our previous studies discovered that Heat shock factor 1(HSF1) can alleviate pressure overload induced heart failure in mice. However, its molecular mechanisms are yet to be further explained. Many studies have already verified that Adenylyl Cyclase 6 (AC6) can ameliorate heart failure, but it is still unknown whether or not the pathway HSF1 is involved in the process. Our preliminary experiment showed that the expression level of AC6 is positively associated with HSF1. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to explore whether HSF1 can play its role in ameliorating heart failure by regulating AC6, and how the potential internal mechanisms work.

METHODS

We applied the Transverse Aortic Constriction (TAC) for 4 weeks to develop the C57BL/6 mice pressure overload induced heart failure model. First, the mice were divided into TAC group and SHAM group. Changes in the cardiac function and morphology of the mice were observed by an ultrasonic device and Masson staining slices, expressions of AC6 mRNA were observed by RT-QPCR, expressions of HSF1 and proteinkinase A (PKA) were examined by Western Blotting, and the levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) from aortic blood were measured by ELISA. Second, the TAC group were further divided into subgroups of HSF1 transgene mice, HSF1 knockout mice and wild type mice, followed by the aforesaid observations.

RESULTS

In the SHAM group, no obvious variations of cardiac function, AC6 mRNAHSF1, PKA, cAMP and other test results were found among each of the subgroups. Compared to the SHAM group, the TAC group presented clearly weakened heart functions, while, expressions of AC6 mRNA, HSF1, PKA and cAMP all recorded obvious increases. In the TAC group, compared to the WT subgroup, the HSF1 KO subgroup presented decreases in expressions of AC6 mRNA, HSF1, PKA and cAMP, and at the same time, the heart functions were weaker, while, the HSF1 TG subgroup recorded the contrary results.

CONCLUSION

In the pressure overload heart failure model, HSF1 can ameliorate heart failure by positively regulating the pathway of AC6/cAMP/PKA.

Association between a vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphism (rs2146323) and diabetic retinopathy: a meta-analysis

Background

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Previous studies have associated the VEGF rs2146323 polymorphism with the risk of DR. However, the results of these studies are inconsistent. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the association between the VEGF rs2146323 polymorphism and the risk of DR.

Methods

The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Google Scholar literature databases until March 2015 were searched. The differences in the studies were expressed in the form of an odds ratio (OR) and the corresponding 95 % confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity among the studies was tested using the I² statistic based on the Q test.

Results

A total of four studies (598 cases and 709 controls) were included in the meta-analysis. A significant association was found involving the rs2146323 polymorphism in the dominant model (CA + AA VS. CC) (OR = 1.38, CI = 1.10–1.72, P = 0.005) and the co-dominant model (CA VS. CC) (OR = 1.37, CI = 1.08–1.74, P = 0.008).

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis confirmed the association between the VEGF rs2146323 polymorphism and the risk of DR.

Expression of macrophage migration-inhibitory factor in duodenal ulcer and its relation to Helicobacter pylori infection

The aim of this study was to examine the expression of macrophage migration-inhibitory factor (MIF) in duodenal ulcer epithelial cells and its relation to Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, and to discuss the pathogenic roles of MIF expression and Hp infection in duodenal ulcer. MIF protein and mRNA expression was examined in samples from patients with duodenal ulcer with and without Hp infection (N = 40 each, experimental group), and in normal duodenal bulb mucosal tissue (N = 40, control group) using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Patients without Hp infection received routine treatment, and treatment was provided to the patients positive for Hp to eradicate Hp infection. Hp and MIF expression levels before treatment and after the ulcer had been cured were compared. The positive rates of MIF protein and mRNA in patients with Hp infection before treatment were 67.5 and 65%, respectively, and were 18.9 and 21.6% in the 37 patients from whom Hp was eliminated. These were statistically different both before and after treatment compared with controls (P < 0.05). In the patients without Hp infection, the positive rates of MIF protein and mRNA expression before (45 and 47.5%, respectively) and after (32.5 and 30%) treatment were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The results of this study suggested that MIF is related to the development of duodenal ulcer, and that the presence of Hp is closely related with the expression of MIF in the duodenal mucosa and the development of duodenal ulcer.

CTLA4 enhances the osteogenic differentiation of allogeneic human mesenchymal stem cells in a model of immune activation

Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (allo-MSCs) have recently garnered increasing interest for their broad clinical therapy applications. Despite this, many studies have shown that allo-MSCs are associated with a high rate of graft rejection unless immunosuppressive therapy is administered to control allo-immune responses. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) is a co-inhibitory molecule expressed on T cells that mediates the inhibition of T-cell function. Here, we investigated the osteogenic differentiation potency of allo-MSCs in an activated immune system that mimics the in vivo allo-MSC grafting microenvironment and explored the immunomodulatory role of the helper T cell receptor CTLA4 in this process. We found that MSC osteogenic differentiation was inhibited in the presence of the activated immune response and that overexpression of CTLA4 in allo-MSCs suppressed the immune response and promoted osteogenic differentiation. Our results support the application of CTLA4-overexpressing allo-MSCs in bone tissue engineering.

Effects of rifampicin on osteogenic differentiation and proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow

This study was designed to investigate the effect of different concentrations of rifampicin on osteogenic differentiation and proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in human bone marrow. Rifampicin treatment at 0, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 mg/mL was applied throughout the whole process, from stromal cells purified from human bone marrow to differentiated bone cells. The effect of rifampicin on MSC proliferation was determined using the MTT assay. The effect of rifampicin on the expressions of type I collagen (COL1A1), osteopontin/bone Gla protein (OPN/BGP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in human osteoblast cells were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the expressions of COL1A1, OPN/BGP, and the runt-related transcription factor (RUNX2) were determined by Western blot. Results showed that the proliferation of MSCs was significantly inhibited when the rifampicin concentration exceeded 32 mg/mL. In addition, increased rifampicin concentrations inhibited the formation of calcium nodules, OPN/BGP, and COL1A1 in osteoblasts after 28 days of induction. The RNA expressions of OPN/BGP, COL1A1, and ALP were significantly downregulated compared to those of the control group in osteoblasts after induction. The protein expressions of RUNX2, COL1A1, and OPN/BGP were also significantly downregulated compared to those of the control group after induction. In conclusion, rifampicin at exorbitant concentration exerts adverse effects on the proliferation of MSCs in human bone marrow and the differentiation of osteoblasts.

Role of the Internet as an information resource for surgical patients: a survey of 877 patients

BACKGROUND

This study was conducted to provide preliminary data regarding current Internet use practices for information about anaesthesia in patients undergoing elective surgical procedures at a major academic institution.

METHODS

With IRB approval, 2936 patients coming for preanaesthetic evaluation at a tertiary academic hospital's preadmission testing (PAT) centre were invited to voluntarily participate in a 20-item questionnaire designed to obtain participants' characteristics and Internet use for information pertaining to their upcoming surgery. Data were analysed using statistical software SAS (Cary, NC, USA). Descriptive statistics were calculated for continuous variables using mean (sd), and for categorical data using n (%). Association analysis was performed using the Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

Eight hundred and seventy-seven patients (30%) responded. Of these, 356 (41%) looked for information about their medical condition, 321 (37%) for their surgery, 279 (32%) for surgeon, 163 (19%) for the hospital, and only 36 (4%) for information regarding anaesthesia. Of these 36 patients, 14 (39%) said the sites they used helped answer their questions regarding anaesthesia. Of the 831 patients who did not use the Internet for anaesthesia, 503 (57%) indicated that they would be receptive to being directed to specific websites for anaesthesia.

CONCLUSIONS

Of the patients coming for elective surgery who responded (30%), the majority did not use the Internet to seek information regarding anaesthesia. Respondents indicated a high degree of interest in being directed to appropriate websites for further information. These results suggest that it may be beneficial to include information regarding reliable web-based resources to interested patients at preoperative visits.

Pulmonary thromboembolism during adult liver transplantation: incidence, clinical presentation, outcome, risk factors, and diagnostic predictors

BACKGROUND

Intraoperative pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is an often overlooked cause of mortality during adult liver transplantation (LT) with diagnostic challenge. The goals of this study were to investigate the incidence, clinical presentation, and outcome of PTE and to identify risk factors or diagnostic predictors for PTE.

METHODS

Four hundred and ninety-five consecutive, isolated, deceased donor LTs performed in an institution for a 3 yr period (2004-6) were analysed. The standard technique was a piggyback method with veno-venous bypass without prophylactic anti-fibrinolytics. The clinical diagnosis of PTE was made with (i) acute cor pulmonale, and (ii) identification of blood clots in the pulmonary artery or observation of acute right heart pressure overload with or without intracardiac clots with transoesophageal echocardiography.

RESULTS

The incidence of PTE was 4.0% (20 cases); cardiac arrest preceded the diagnosis of PTE [75% (15)] and PTE occurred during the neo-hepatic phase [85% (17)], especially within 30 min after graft reperfusion [70% (14)]. Operative and 60 day mortalities of patients with PTE were higher (P<0.001) than those without PTE (30% vs 0.8% and 45% vs 6.5%). Comparison of perioperative data between the PTE group (n=20) and the non-PTE group (n=475) revealed cardiac arrest and flat-line thromboelastography in three channels (natural, amicar, and protamine) at 5 min after graft reperfusion as the most significant risk factors or diagnostic predictors for PTE with an odds ratio of 154.32 [95% confidence interval (CI): 44.82-531.4] and 49.44 (CI: 15.6-156.57), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings confirmed clinical significance of PTE during adult LT and suggested the possibility of predicting this devastating complication.

Cloning and characterization of a novel member of human beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase gene family

By using the EST strategy for identifying novel members belonging to homologous gene families, a novel fulklength cDNA encoding a protein significantly homologous to UDP-Gal: N-acetylglucosamine beta-1, 4-galactosyltransferase (GalT) was isolated from a human testis cDNA library. A nucleotide sequence of 2 173 bp long was determined to contain an open reading frame of 1 032 nucleotides (344 amino acids). In view of the homology to memben of the galactosyltransferase gene family and especially the closest relationship toGallus gallus GalT type I (CK I), the predicted product of the novel cDNA was designated as human beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase homolog I (HumGT-H1). Its mRNA is present in different degrees in 16 tissues examined. Southern analysis of human genomic DNA revealed its locus on chromosome 3.

Telomerase activity and telomere length in human tumor cells with acquired resistance to anticancer agents

Telomeres and telomerase are targets for anticancer drug development and specific inhibitors are currently under clinical investigation. However, it has been reported that standard cytotoxic agents can affect telomere length and telomerase activity suggesting that they also have of a role in drug resistance. in this study, telomere lengths and telomerase activity as well as drug efflux pump expression, glutathione (GSH) levels and polyadenosine-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage were assessed in a panel of human tumor cell lines made resistant to vindesine, gemcitabine and cisplatin. these included two lung cancer cell lines resistant to vindesine (LXFL 529L/Vind, LXFA 526L/Vind), a renal cancer cell line (RXF944L/Gem) and an ovarian cancer cell line (AG6000) resistant to gemcitabine, and one resistant to cisplatin (ADDP). The resistant clones were compared to their parental lines and evaluated for cross resistance to other cytotoxic agents. Several drug specific resistance patterns were found, and various complex patterns of cross resistance emerged from some cell lines, but these mechanisms of resistance could not be related to drug efflux pump expression, GSH levels or pARp cleavage. However, all displayed changes in telomerase activity and/or telomere length. Our studies present evidence that telomere maintenance should be taken into consideration in efforts not only to overcome drug resistance, but also to optimize the use of telomere-based therapeutics.

Semicircular bend testing with split Hopkinson pressure bar for measuring dynamic tensile strength of brittle solids

We propose and validate an indirect tensile testing method to measure the dynamic tensile strength of rocks and other brittle solids: semicircular bend (SCB) testing with a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. A strain gauge is mounted near the failure spot on the specimen to determine the rupture time. The momentum trap technique is utilized to ensure single pulse loading for postmortem examination. Tests without and with pulse shaping are conducted on rock specimens. The evolution of tensile stress at the failure spot is determined via dynamic and quasistatic finite element analyses with the dynamic loads measured from SHPB as inputs. Given properly shaped incident pulse, far-field dynamic force balance is achieved and the peak of the loading matches in time with the rupture onset of the specimen. In addition, the dynamic tensile stress history at the failure spot obtained from the full dynamic finite element analysis agrees with the quasistatic analysis. The opposite occurs for the test without pulse shaping. These results demonstrate that when the far-field dynamic force balance is satisfied, the inertial effects associated with stress wave loading are minimized and thus one can apply the simple quasistatic analysis to obtain the tensile strength in the SCB-SHPB testing. This method provides a useful and cost effective way to measure indirectly the dynamic tensile strength of rocks and other brittle materials.

A whole genome linkage scan identifies multiple chromosomal regions influencing adiposity-related traits among Samoans

We conducted a genome-wide scan in 46 pedigrees, with 671 phenotyped adults, from the independent nation of Samoa to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for adiposity-related phenotypes, including body mass index (BMI), abdominal circumference (ABDCIR), percent body fat (%BFAT), and fasting serum leptin and adiponectin. A set of 378 autosomal and 14 X chromosomal microsatellite markers were genotyped in 572 of the adults. Significant genetic correlations (0.82-0.96) were detected between pairs of BMI, ABDCIR, %BFAT and leptin. Suggestive linkages were found on 13q31 (LOD = 2.30 for leptin, LOD = 2.48 for %BFAT, LOD = 2.04 for ABDCIR, and LOD = 2.09 for BMI) and on 9p22 (LOD = 3.08 for ABDCIR and LOD = 2.53 for %BFAT). Furthermore, bivariate linkage analyses indicated that the genetic regions on 9p22 (bivariate LOD 2.35-3.10, LOD(eq) (1df) 1.88-2.59) and 13q31 (bivariate LOD 1.96-2.64, LOD(eq) 1.52-2.21) might harbor common major genes with pleiotropic effects. Other regions showing suggestive linkage included 4q22 (LOD = 2.95) and 7p14 (LOD = 2.64) for %BFAT, 2q13 for adiponectin (LOD = 2.05) and 19q12 for BMI-adjusted leptin (LOD = 2.03). Further fine mapping of these regions may help identify the genetic variants contributing to the development of obesity in Samoan adults.