Study on the mechanism of Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq. in the treatment of hyperuricemia by microbiome combined with metabonomics

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Growing evidence indicates that hyperuricemia is closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis. Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq. (O. aristatus), as a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used to treat hyperuricemia in China. However, the mechanism by which O. aristatus treats hyperuricemia has not been clarified.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, we investigated whether the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-hyperuricemia effect of O. aristatus is related to the regulation of gut microbiota by 16S rDNA gene sequencing combined with widely targeted metabolomics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hyperuricemia was induced in rats by administration of 10% fructose and 20% yeast, and the uricosuric effect was assessed by measuring the uric acid (UA) levels in serum and cecal contents. Intestinal morphology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. To explore the effects of O. aristatus on the gut microbiota and its metabolites, we utilized 16S rDNA gene sequencing combined with widely targeted metabolomics. Furthermore, metabolic pathway enrichment analysis was performed on the screened differential metabolites. The real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting (WB) were used to detect the expression of relevant proteins in the key pathway.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that O. aristatus intervention decreased serum UA levels and increased the UA levels in cecal contents in hyperuricemic rats. Additionally, O. aristatus improved intestinal morphology and altered the composition of the gut microbiota and its metabolites. Specifically, 16S rDNA revealed that O. aristatus treatment significantly reduced the abundance of unidentified-Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae-NK4A136-group. Meanwhile, widely targeted metabolomics showed that 17 metabolites, including lactose, 4-oxopentanoate and butyrate, were elevated, while 55 metabolites, such as flavin adenine dinucleotide and xanthine, were reduced. Metabolic pathway enrichment analysis found that O. aristatus was mainly involved in purine metabolism. Moreover, RT-PCR and WB suggested that O. aristatus could significantly up-regulate the expression of UA excretion transporter ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) in the intestine.

CONCLUSION

O. aristatus exerts UA-lowering effect by regulating the gut microbiota and ABCG2 expression, indicating that this herb holds great promise in the treatment of hyperuricemia.

ASPSCR-1 and Sirt-5 alleviate Clonorchis liver fluke rCsNOSIP-induced oxidative stress, proliferation, and migration in cholangiocarcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Clonorchiasis, caused by the infection of Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis), is a kind of neglected tropical disease, but it is highly related to cholangiocarcinoma. It has been well known that NO from chronic inflammation responses are thought to be a major component of the damage and ultimate carcinogenesis ESPs such as nitric oxide synthase interacting protein (NOSIP) are thought to enhance the damage. The objective of this study was to identify the protein candidates interact with recombinant CsNOSIP (rCsNOSIP) and explore their role involved in CCA development or progression.

METHODS

We applied HuProt microarray containing 21,000 probe sets for a systematic identification of rCsNOSIP-binding proteins and grouped binding hits by gene function. Pull-down assays were used to confirm the interaction of rCsNOSIP with alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPSCR-1) and sirtuins 5 (Sirt-5). ASPSCR-1/Sirt-5 over-expression and siRNA knockdown experiments were employed for obtain of ASPSCR-1/Sirt-5 high or low expression (ASP-oe/Sirt5-oe or ASP-si/Sirt5-si) cholangiocarcinoma cell line (CCLP-1) cells. Nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species assay (ROS) as well as cell proliferation and wound-healing assays were performed to observe the effect of rCsNOSIP on ASP-oe/Sirt5-oe or ASP-si/Sirt5-si CCLP-1 cells.

RESULTS

Seventy candidate proteins protein "hits" were detected as rCsNOSIP-binding proteins by HuProt microarray and bioinformatics analysis. Pull down assay showed that ASPSCR-1 and Sirt-5 could interact with rCsNOSIP. In addition, endotoxin-free-rCsNOSIP could increase the production of NO and ROS and promote the migration of CCLP-1 cells, while its effect on enhancing cell proliferation was not significant. Furthermore, ROS/NO production, proliferation, or migration were increased in ASP-si or Sirt5-si CCLP-1 cells but decreased in Asp-oe or Sirt5-oe CCLP-1 cells when stimulated with rCsNOSIP.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that CsNOSIP as a component of CsESPs might promote the development and invasion of CCA and Sirt5/ ASPSCR1 as host molecules might play a novel protective role against adverse stimulus during C. sinensis infection. This work supports the idea that CsESPs induce the occurrence and progression of CCA through ROS/RNS-induced oxidative and nitrative DNA damage.

[Pharmacodynamic mechanism of Tibetan medicine Liurui Capsules on experimental autoimmune uveitis in rats based on network pharmacology and animal experiments]

By integrating network pharmacology and animal experiments, we studied the pharmacodynamic mechanism of the Tibetan medicine Liurui Capsules in the treatment of experimental autoimmune uveitis(EAU). The active ingredients and targets of Liurui Capsules were searched against the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine(ETCM), Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine(BATMAN-TCM), and relevant literatures. The EAU-related targets were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO), GeneCards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), and Therapeutic Target Database(TTD). The common targets shared by Liurui Capsules and EAU were identified, and the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was established via STRING. Gene Ontology(GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were conducted via g: Profiler. The rat model of EAU was induced by interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein(IRBP) and treated with Liurui Capsules. The inflammatory response of anterior segment and the pathological morphology of retina were observed. The mRNA and protein levels of delta-like ligand 4(DLL4), Notch1, interleukin-17(IL-17), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) were determined by real-time quantitative PCR(q-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. The network pharmacology analysis predicted 51 common targets of Liurui Capsules and EAU, which were mainly involved in IL-17, TNF, and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathways, as well as liposome receptors and other biological processes. Compared with the control group, the modeling of EAU caused inflammatory changes in the anterior segment and retina and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of DLL4, Notch1, IL-17, and TNF-α in ocular tissue. Compared with the model group, Liurui Capsules reduced the inflammatory reaction of anterior segment and retina and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of DLL4, Notch1, IL-17, and TNF-α. Liurui Capsules can down-regulate the expression of the proteins involved in DLL4/Notch1/IL-17 signaling pathway in ocular tissue and alleviate the ocular inflammation, which may be one of the mechanisms of Liurui Capsules in the treatment of EAU.

tRNA Metabolism and Lung Cancer: Beyond Translation

Lung cancer, one of the most malignant tumors, has extremely high morbidity and mortality, posing a serious threat to global health. It is an urgent need to fully understand the pathogenesis of lung cancer and provide new ideas for its treatment. Interestingly, accumulating evidence has identified that transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and tRNA metabolism–associated enzymes not only participate in the protein translation but also play an important role in the occurrence and development of lung cancer. In this review, we summarize the different aspects of tRNA metabolism in lung cancer, such as tRNA transcription and mutation, tRNA molecules and derivatives, tRNA-modifying enzymes, and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs), aiming at a better understanding of the pathogenesis of lung cancer and providing new therapeutic strategies for it.

Brewing rich 2-phenylethanol beer from cassava and its producing metabolisms in yeast

BACKGROUND

Cassava is rich in nutrition and has high edible value, but the development of the cassava industry is limited by the traditional low added value processing and utilization mode. In this study, cassava tuber was used as beer adjunct to develop a complete set of fermentation technology for manufacturing cassava beer.

RESULTS

The activities of transaminase, phenylpyruvate decarboxylase and dehydrogenase in 2-phenylethanol Ehrlich biosynthesis pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were higher in cassava beer than that of malt beer. Aminotransferase ARO9 gene and phenylpyruvate decarboxylase ARO10 gene were up-regulated in the late stage of fermentation, which indicated that they were the main regulated genes of 2-phenylethanol Ehrlich pathway with phenylalanine as substrate in cassava beer preparation.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with traditional wheat beer, cassava beer was similar in the content of nutrition elements, diacetyl, total acid, alcohol and carbon dioxide, but has the characteristics of fresh fragrance and better taste. The hydrocyanic acid contained in cassava root tubes was catabolized during fermentation and compliant with the safety standard of beverage. Further study found that the content of 2-phenylethanol in cassava beer increased significantly, which gave cassava beer a unique elegant and delicate rose flavor. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioactivity-guided separation of potential α-glycosidase inhibitor from clerodendranthus spicatus based on HSCCC coupled with molecular docking

Clerodendranthus Spicatus is a traditional Dais medi-edible plant and it has been proven to have good blood glucose-lowering efficacy. However, the material basis of Clerodendranthus Spicatus has not been clarified yet and therefore needs to be determined. In this paper, the effective ingredients of this medicine were purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography. Alongside, their potential hypoglycemic activity was determined by α-glucosidase inhibitory activities in vitro and molecular docking. Finally, five compounds were purified and identified as 2-caffeoyl-L-tartaric acid (1), N-(E)-caffeoyldopamine (2), rosmarinc acid (3), methyl rosmarinate (4), 6,7,8,3',4'-Pentamethoxyflavone (5). Examination of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro showed that 2-caffeoyl-L-tartaric acid and rosmarinic acid had a higher inhibitory activity than acarbose. Molecular docking indicated that the affinity energy of the identified compounds ranged from - 7.6 to - 8.6 kcal/mol, a more desirable result than acarbose (- 6.6 kcal/mol). Particularly, rosmarinc acid with the lowest affinity energy of - 8.6 kcal/mol was wrapped with 6 hydrogen bonds. Overall, α-glucosidase inhibitory activities and molecular docking suggested that rosmarinc acid was likely to be a promising hypoglycemic drug.

Roles of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases in Cancer

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) catalyze the ligation of amino acids to their cognate transfer RNAs (tRNAs), thus playing an important role in protein synthesis. In eukaryotic cells, these enzymes exist in free form or in the form of multi-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC). The latter contains nine cytoplasmic ARSs and three ARS-interacting multifunctional proteins (AIMPs). Normally, ARSs and AIMPs are regarded as housekeeping molecules without additional functions. However, a growing number of studies indicate that ARSs are involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, especially tumorigenesis. Here, we introduce the roles of ARSs and AIMPs in certain cancers, such as colon cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, we particularly focus on their potential clinical applications in cancer, aiming at providing new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer.

Chicory ameliorates hyperuricemia via modulating gut microbiota and alleviating LPS/TLR4 axis in quail

BACKGROUND

High-purine diet can cause gut microbiota disorder, which is closely related to the occurrence of hyperuricemia (HUA). At the same time, the development of HUA is often accompanied by renal impairment. Chicory, a natural medicine, has a significant effect on lowering uric acid. However, whether its concrete mechanism is associated with the regulation of gut microbiota and renal damage is still unclear.

METHODS

Hyperuricemic quails induced by high-purine diet were used, and quails were divided into control (CON), model (MOD), and model plus high, middle, low doses of chicory. The uricosuric effect was evaluated by detecting the uric acid levels in serum and feces. Meanwhile, the morphology of intestine and kidney were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and the expression of intestinal barrier junction proteins Occludin, Claudin-1 were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting. Furthermore, the latent mechanism was clarified by analyzing 16S rRNA amplicon of gut microbiota and measuring the changes of LPS/TLR4 axis inflammatory response of the kidney by western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

The results showed that serum uric acid levels were significantly decreased, and the feces uric acid levels were noticeably increased after the intervention of chicory. In addition, chicory could repair the damage of intestinal mucosa and improve the permeability of intestinal barrier. Moreover, the 16S rRNA sequencing analysis uncovered that chicory restored gut microbiota by increasing the probiotics flora (Bifidobacterium, Erysipelotrichaceae) and reducing the pathogenic bacteria group (Helicobacteraceae). Furthermore, it was found that chicory reduced the LPS/TLR4 axis inflammatory response by down regulating the serum LPS and TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway in kidney, thus promoting the excretion of uric acid in kidney.

CONCLUSION

Chicory intervention ameliorated HUA via modulating the imbalance of gut microbiota and suppressing LPS/TLR4 axis inflammatory reaction in quail model, which may be a promising candidate for hyperuricemia-relieving properties.

Relative efficiencies of alternative preference-based designs for randomised trials

Recent work has shown that outcomes in clinical trials can be affected by which treatment the trial participants would select if they were allowed to do so, and if they do or do not actually receive that treatment. These influences are known as selection and preference effects, respectively. Unfortunately, they cannot be evaluated in conventional, parallel group trials because patient preferences remain unknown. However, several alternative designs have been proposed, to measure and take account of patient preferences. In this paper, we discuss three preference-based designs (the two-stage, fully randomised, and partially randomised designs). In conventional trials, only the treatment effect is estimable, while the preference-based designs have the potential to estimate some or all of the selection and preference effects. The relative efficiency of these designs is affected by several factors, including the proportion of participants who are undecided about treatments, or who are unable or unwilling to state a preference; the relative preference rate between the treatments being compared, among patients who do have a preference; and the ratio of patients randomised to each treatment. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these designs under different scenarios.

Glycemic variability: adverse clinical outcomes and how to improve it?

Glycemic variability (GV), defined as an integral component of glucose homoeostasis, is emerging as an important metric to consider when assessing glycemic control in clinical practice. Although it remains yet no consensus, accumulating evidence has suggested that GV, representing either short-term (with-day and between-day variability) or long-term GV, was associated with an increased risk of diabetic macrovascular and microvascular complications, hypoglycemia, mortality rates and other adverse clinical outcomes. In this review, we summarize the adverse clinical outcomes of GV and discuss the beneficial measures, including continuous glucose monitoring, drugs, dietary interventions and exercise training, to improve it, aiming at better addressing the challenging aspect of blood glucose management.

Relationship Between Potentially Inappropriate Medications And The Risk Of Hospital Readmission And Death In Hospitalized Older Patients

Objective

This study aimed to compare the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) among hospitalized elderly patients using Beers and Chinese criteria and identify the correlation between PIMs and the risk of hospital readmission and death.

Methods

This study was conducted on geriatric patients aged ≥65 years at Beijing Fuxing Hospital between June 2015 and December 2017. The Beers criteria of 2015 and the Chinese criteria of 2017 were used to detect PIMs. Follow-ups were conducted for 12–36 months (or until patients’ death, if it came sooner). Cox proportional-hazards models were used to explore the correlations between PIM use and the risk of hospital readmission and death.

Results

Of 508 patients, 352 (69.3%) and 339 (66.7%) had at least one PIM identified using the Beers criteria and the Chinese criteria, respectively. Proton-pump inhibitors in the Beers criteria and clopidogrel in the Chinese criteria were the most leading PIMs. PIMs identified using the Beers criteria were a risk factor for the all-cause hospital readmission. After adjusting for age, gender, comorbidity, and so forth, PIM use was still an indicator of rehospitalization. PIM grouping defined using the Chinese criteria was not associated with hospital readmission. PIM grouping defined using either criteria was not associated with all-cause death.

Conclusion

The study showed a high prevalence of PIM use in China. PIMs defined using the Beers criteria increased the risk of hospital readmission. Clinicians should pay more attention to PIMs, carry out routine PIM assessment, and reduce adverse health outcomes in elderly patients.

Tea cultivar classification and biochemical parameter estimation from hyperspectral imagery obtained by UAV

It is generally feasible to classify different species of vegetation based on remotely sensed images, but identification of different sub-species or even cultivars is uncommon. Tea trees (Camellia sinensis L.) have been proven to show great differences in taste and quality between cultivars. We hypothesize that hyperspectral remote sensing would make it possibly to classify cultivars of plants and even to estimate their taste-related biochemical components. In this study, hyperspectral data of the canopies of tea trees were collected by hyperspectral camera mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Tea cultivars were classified according to the spectral characteristics of the tea canopies. Furthermore, two major components influencing the taste of tea, tea polyphenols (TP) and amino acids (AA), were predicted. The results showed that the overall accuracy of tea cultivar classification achieved by support vector machine is higher than 95% with proper spectral pre-processing method. The best results to predict the TP and AA were achieved by partial least squares regression with standard normal variant normalized spectra, and the ratio of TP to AA—which is one proven index for tea taste—achieved the highest accuracy (R_CV = 0.66, RMSE_CV = 13.27) followed by AA (R_CV = 0.62, RMSE_CV = 1.16) and TP (R_CV = 0.58, RMSE_CV = 10.01). The results indicated that classification of tea cultivars using the hyperspectral remote sensing from UAV was successful, and there is a potential to map the taste-related chemical components in tea plantations from UAV platform; however, further exploration is needed to increase the accuracy.

Activation of PPARγ/P53 signaling is required for curcumin to induce hepatic stellate cell senescence

Activation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the major event in hepatic fibrogenesis, along with enhancement of cell proliferation and overproduction of extracellular matrix. Although inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis are potential strategies to block the activation of HSCs, a better understanding of the senescence of activated HSCs can provide a new therapeutic strategy for prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis. The antioxidant curcumin, a phytochemical from turmeric, has been shown to suppress HSC activation in vitro and in vivo. The current work was aimed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on senescence of activated HSCs and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In this study, curcumin promoted the expression of senescence marker Hmga1 in rat fibrotic liver. In addition, curcumin increased the number of senescence-associated β-galactosidase-positive HSCs in vitro. At the same time, curcumin induced HSC senescence by elevating the expression of senescence markers P16, P21 and Hmga1, concomitant with reduced abundance of HSC activation markers α-smooth muscle actin and α1(I)-procollagen in cultured HSCs. Moreover, curcumin affected the cell cycle and telomerase activity. We further demonstrated that P53 pharmacological inhibitor pifithrin-α (PFT-α) or transfection with P53 siRNA abrogated the curcumin-induced HSC senescence in vitro. Meanwhile, curcumin disruption of P53 leading to increased senescence of activated HSCs was further verified in vivo. Further studies indicated that curcumin promoted the expression of P53 through a PPARγ activation-dependent mechanism. Moreover, promoting PPARγ transactivating activity by a PPARγ agonist 15d-PGJ2 markedly enhanced curcumin induction of senescence of activated HSCs. However, the PPARγ antagonist PD68235 eliminated curcumin induction of HSC senescence. Taken together, our results provided a novel insight into the mechanisms underlying curcumin inhibition of HSC activation through inducing senescence.

Interleukin-13 is involved in the formation of liver fibrosis in Clonorchis sinensis-infected mice

Clonorchiasis is a chronic infection disease often accompanied by formation of liver fibrosis. Previous study has identified that Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis, Cs) infection and CsRNASET2 (a member of CsESPs) immunization can drive Th2 immune response. IL-13, a multifunctional Th2 cytokine, has been widely confirmed to be profibrotic mediator. We want to determine whether IL-13 is involved in the generation of liver fibrosis during C. sinensis infection. A part of mice were infected with C. sinensis or immunized with CsRNASET2, respectively. Another part of mice were intravenously injected with rIL-13. Liver tissues of C. sinensis-infected mice were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome, respectively. The transcriptional levels of collagen-I, collagen-III, α-SMA, and TIMP-1 in the livers of infected mice and rIL-13-treated mice were measured by quantitative RT-PCR. Besides, splenocytes of C. sinensis-infected and CsRNASET2-immunized mice were isolated, respectively. The levels of IL-13 in splenocytes were detected by ELISA. Our results displayed that the livers of C. sinensis-infected mice had serious chronic inflammation and collagen deposition. The transcriptional levels of collagen-I, collagen-III, α-SMA, and TIMP-1 in the livers of C. sinensis-infected mice were obviously increased. Splenocytes from both C. sinensis-infected and CsRNASET2-immunized mice expressed high levels of IL-13. Moreover, rIL-13 treatment markedly promoted the transcriptional levels of collagen-I, collagen-III, α-SMA, and TIMP-1. These data implied that hepatic fibrosis was formed in the livers of C. sinensis-infected mice, and IL-13 induced by C. sinensis infection and CsRNASET2 immunization might favor this progression.

Investigation on oxidative stress of nitric oxide synthase interacting protein from Clonorchis sinensis

Numerous evidences indicate that excretory-secretory products (ESPs) from liver flukes trigger the generation of free radicals that are associated with the initial pathophysiological responses in host cells. In this study, we first constructed a Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis, Cs)-infected BALB/c mouse model and examined relative results respectively at 3, 5, 7, and 9 weeks postinfection (p.i.). Quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR indicated that the transcriptional level of both endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) gradually decreased with lastingness of infection, while the transcriptional level of inducible NOS (iNOS) significantly increased. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in sera of infected mouse significantly increased versus the healthy control group. These results showed that the liver of C. sinensis-infected mouse was in a state with elevated levels of oxidation stress. Previously, C. sinensis NOS interacting protein coding gene (named CsNOSIP) has been isolated and recombinant CsNOSIP (rCsNOSIP) has been expressed in Escherichia coli, which has been confirmed to be a component present in CsESPs and confirmed to play important roles in immune regulation of the host. In the present paper, we investigated the effects of rCsNOSIP on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activated RAW264.7, a murine macrophage cell line. We found that endotoxin-free rCsNOSIP significantly promoted the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) after pretreated with rCsNOSIP, while the level of SOD decreased. Furthermore, rCsNOSIP could also increase the level of lipid peroxidation MDA. Taken together, these results suggested that CsNOSIP was a key molecule which was involved in the production of nitric oxide (NO) and its reactive intermediates, and played an important role in oxidative stress during C. sinensis infection.

CsRNASET2 is an important component of Clonorchis sinensis responsible for eliciting Th2 immune response

Many parasites can trigger the host immune response by releasing excretory/secretory proteins (ESPs). CsRNASET2, a glycosylated T2 ribonuclease present in ESPs of Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis, Cs), has recently been reported to possess potent effects in regulating mouse dendritic cells (DCs). However, it is unclear whether CsRNASET2 can induce adaptive immune response. In this study, we carried out further investigations on biochemical features of CsRNASET2. Besides, we immunized Balb/c mice with CsRNASET2 and orally infected Balb/c mice with C. sinensis, respectively. Sera of immunized mice were collected and evaluated for specific antibody titers by ELISA. Splenocytes of experimental mice were isolated and stimulated in vitro. The expression levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ in splenocytes of immunized mice and infected mice were detected by ELISA and flow cytometry. Our results showed that the sequence of CsRNASET2 had close relationship with the homologue from Echinococcus multilocularis. The conserved active site (CAS) motifs, active histidine residues, and N-linked glycosylation region of CsRNASET2 were close to each other in the three-dimensional structure. In addition, sera of CsRNASET2 immunized mice had obviously higher levels of specific antibody titers. Splenocytes from both CsRNASET2 immunized mice and C. sinensis infected mice expressed increased levels of IL-4, while the production of IFN-γ exhibited no significant difference. Immunization with CsRNASET2 elicited Th2 immune response by promoting the synthesis of IL-4, consistent with the immune response initiated by infection of C. sinensis. Taken together, these data suggested that CsRNASET2 was important for C. sinensis to trigger Th2 immune response.

Characterization of agronomic and quality traits and HSW-G5 compositions from the progenies of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with different protein content

High molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) play an essential role in wheat processing quality. In this study, we evaluated the genetic pattern with HMW-GS composition between generations and examined whether agronomic and quality traits were correlated with each other. A wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar with high protein content and 2 cultivars with low protein content were subjected to a reciprocal cross. Sixteen agronomic and 4 quality characteristics were investigated. A total of 216 seeds from each F2 generation were chosen randomly and analyzed for HMW-GS composition using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Agronomic and quality characteristics were not significantly different between reciprocal crosses, indicating no cytoplasmic effect on the characteristics studied. The separation ratio of 2 HMW-GS loci was 9:3:3:1, indicating no linkage between any 2 loci. The novel HMW-GS N was detected in cultivar R145, which did not follow the Mendelian segregation ratio. A Glu-A1a(1) band was not detected in 1 individual from Tian8901xR145. Average grain weight per spike was significantly correlated with quality characteristics and may be a suitable criterion for selecting high protein content in wheat breeding programs.

Molecular characterization of Clonorchis sinensis secretory myoglobin: delineating its role in anti-oxidative survival

Background

Clonorchiasis is a globally important, neglected food-borne disease caused by Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis), and it is highly related to cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Increased molecular evidence has strongly suggested that the adult worm of C. sinensis continuously releases excretory-secretory proteins (ESPs), which play important roles in the parasite-host interactions, to establish successful infection and ensure its own survival. Myoglobin, a hemoprotein, is present in high concentrations in trematodes and ESPs. To further understand the biological function of CsMb and its putative roles in the interactions of C. sinensis with its host, we explored the molecular characterization of CsMb in this paper.

Methods

We expressed CsMb and its mutants in E. coli BL21 and identified its molecular characteristics using bioinformatics analysis and experimental approaches. Reverse transcription PCR analysis was used to measure myoglobin transcripts of C. sinensis with different culture conditions. The peroxidase activity of CsMb was confirmed by spectrophotometry. We co-cultured RAW264.7 cells with recombinant CsMb (rCsMb), and we then measured the production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and nitric oxide (NO) in addition to the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD2) in activated RAW264.7 cells.

Results

In the in vitro culture of adult worms, the transcripts of CsMb increased with the increase of oxygen content. Oxidative stress conditions induced by H₂O₂ increased the levels of CsMb transcripts in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, CsMb catalyzed oxidation reactions in the presence of H₂O₂, and amino acid 34 of CsMb played an essential role in its reaction with H₂O₂. In addition, CsMb significantly reduced H₂O₂ and NO levels in LPS-activated macrophages, and CsMb downregulated iNOS and SOD expression in activated macrophages.

Conclusion

The present study is the first to investigate the peroxidase activity of CsMb. This investigation suggested that C. sinensis may decrease the redox activation of macrophages by CsMb expression to evade host immune responses. These studies contribute to a better understanding of the role of CsMb in the molecular mechanisms involved in ROS detoxification by C. sinensis.

Biochemical and immunological characterization of annexin B30 from Clonorchis sinensis excretory/secretory products

Clonorchis sinensis has been classified as group I biological carcinogen for cholangiocarcinoma by the World Health Organization. Biological studies on excretory/secretory products (ESPs) enabled us to understand the pathogenesis mechanism of C. sinensis and develop new strategies for the prevention of clonorchiasis. In this study, sequence analysis showed that annexin B30 from C. sinensis (CsANXB30) is composed of four annexin repeats which were characterized by type II and III Ca(2+)-binding sites or KGD motif with the capability of Ca(2+)-binding. In addition, immunoblot assay revealed that recombinant CsANXB30 (rCsANXB30) could be recognized by the sera from rats infected with C. sinensis and the sera from rats immunized by CsESPs. Real-time PCR showed that its transcriptional level was the highest at the stage of metacercaria. Immunofluorescence assay was employed to confirm that CsANXB30 was distributed in the tegument, intestine, and egg of adult worms, as well as the tegument and vitellarium of metacercaria. rCsANXB30 was able to bind phospholipid in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner and human plasminogen in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, cytokine and antibody measurements indicated that rats subcutaneously immunized with rCsANXB30 developed a strong IL-10 production in spleen cells and a high level of IgG1 isotype, indicating that rCsANXB30 could trigger specific humoral and cellular immune response in rats. The present results implied that CsANXB30 might be involved in a host-parasite interaction and affected the immune response of the host during C. sinensis infection.

Identification, immunolocalization, and immunological characterization of nitric oxide synthase-interacting protein from Clonorchis sinensis

Recently, accumulating evidences indicate that nitric oxide (NO) is a potent mediator with diverse roles in regulating cellular functions, signaling pathways, and variety of pathological processes. In the present study, using data from the published genomic for Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis), we investigated a gene encoding nitric oxide synthase-interacting protein (NOSIP) of C. sinensis. Recombinant CsNOSIP (rCsNOSIP) was expressed and purified from Escherichia coli BL21. The open reading frame of CsNOSIP comprises 867 bp which encodes 289 amino acids and shares 72.9, 45.2, 47, 46.4, and 45.8% identity with NOSIP from Schistosoma mansoni, Xenopus laevis, Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, and Homo sapiens, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that the full-length sequence contains an eNOS-interacting domain and numerous B-cell epitopes. Quantitative RT-PCR indicated that CsNOSIP differentially transcribed throughout the adult worms, metacercariae, and egg stages of C. sinensis, and were highly expressed in the adult worms. Moreover, western blot analysis showed that the rCsNOSIP could be detected by the serum from BALB/c mice infected with C. sinensis and the serum from BALB/c mice immunized with excretory/secretory products (ESPs). Furthermore, immunolocalization assay showed that CsNOSIP was specifically localized in the intestine, vitellarium, and eggs of adult worm. Both immunoblot and immunolocalization results demonstrated that CsNOSIP was one component of ESPs of C. sinensis, which could be supported by SignalP analysis. Moreover, analysis of the antibody subclass and cytokine profile demonstrated that subcutaneously immunized BALB/c mice with rCsNOSIP could significantly enhance serum IgG1 level and up-regulate expression of IL-4 and IL-6 in the splenocytes. Our results suggested that CsNOSIP was an important antigen exposed to host immune system and probably involved in immune regulation of host by inducing Th2-polarized immune response.

Molecular characterization of severin from Clonorchis sinensis excretory/secretory products and its potential anti-apoptotic role in hepatocarcinoma PLC cells

BACKGROUND

Clonorchiasis, caused by the infection of Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis), is a kind of neglected tropical disease, but it is highly related to cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has been well known that the excretory/secretory products of C. sinensis (CsESPs) play key roles in clonorchiasis associated carcinoma. From genome and transcriptome of C. sinensis, we identified one component of CsESPs, severin (Csseverin), which had three putative gelsolin domains. Its homologues are supposed to play a vital role in apoptosis resistance of tumour cell.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

There was significant similarity in tertiary structures between human gelsolin and Csseverin by bioinformatics analysis. We identified that Csseverin expressed at life stage of adult worm, metacercaria and egg by the method of quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Csseverin distributed in vitellarium and intrauterine eggs of adult worm and tegument of metacercaria by immunofluorence assay. We obtained recombinant Csseverin (rCsseverin) and confirmed that rCsseverin could bind with calciumion in circular dichroism spectrum analysis. It was demonstrated that rCsseverin was of the capability of actin binding by gel overlay assay and immunocytochemistry. Both Annexin V/PI assay and mitochondrial membrane potential assay of human hepatocarcinoma cell line PLC showed apoptosis resistance after incubation with different concentrations of rCsseverin. Morphological analysis, apoptosis-associated changes of mitochondrial membrane potential and Annexin V/PI apoptosis assay showed that co-incubation of PLC cells with rCsseverin in vitro led to an inhibition of apoptosis induced by serum-starved for 24 h.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Collectively, the molecular properties of Csseverin, a molecule of CsESPs, were characterized in our study. rCsseverin could cause obvious apoptotic inhibition in human HCC cell line. Csseverin might exacerbate the process of HCC patients combined with C. sinensis infection.

Topographical distribution pattern of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia across the cervix

OBJECTIVE

The distribution of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions across the cervix was determined.

METHODS

A total of 575 women whose pathological diagnosis after cervical conization was confirmed as CIN were studied; 146 had low-grade CIN and 429 had high-grade CIN. CIN lesion location on the cervix was recorded using 12-h clock face notation.

RESULTS

In both groups, 12 o'clock was the most common and 2 o'clock the least common lesion location. The most severe lesions were most often located at 8 o'clock and 7 o'clock, in the low- and high-grade groups, respectively. The 2 o'clock site was the least frequent site for the most severe lesion in both groups. Lesions were found more frequently on the posterior lip of the cervix than on the anterior lip, and on the right side of the cervix than on the left side, in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The distribution of CIN lesions is not randomly distributed across the cervix. The 12, 8 and 7 o'clock sites, and the posterior lip and right side of the cervix, should be targeted during colposcopy-directed biopsy of patients with CIN lesions as this may improve diagnostic accuracy.

Identification and immunological characterization of thioredoxin transmembrane-related protein from Clonorchis sinensis

Thioredoxin transmembrane related protein (TMX), a member of thioredoxin superfamily, is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and possesses a thioredoxin-like domain that plays an important role as an oxidoreductase. The functions of TMX in Clonorchis sinensis remain to be elucidated. In this study, we cloned and characterized a novel TMX of C. sinensis (CsTMX). The CsTMX cDNA sequence contained a 414-nucleotide open-reading frame encoding a protein of 137 amino acids. A thioredoxin domain was found in the position of aa21-117 and contained the putative active-site motif Cys-Pro-Ala-Cys. BLASTx analysis showed that CsTMX shared 39-57% amino acid identities with TMX of other organisms. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that CsTMX was differentially transcribed, with the highest level of expression in the adult worm stage and the lowest expression in egg stage. In addition, immunofluorescence assay showed CsTMX was localized in the tegument, vitelline gland, intestine, and intrauterine eggs of adult worm. Besides, immunoblot assay revealed that the recombinant CsTMX (rCsTMX) could be recognized by the sera from rats infected with C. sinensis and the sera from rats immunized by excretory-secretory products. Furthermore, analysis of the antibody isotype profile revealed that rats subcutaneously immunized with rCsTMX developed rCsTMX-specific antibody, which is dominance of IgG2a in sera. Meanwhile, production of IFN-γ was elevated strongly in the supernatants of spleen cell. The results collectively indicated that CsTMX might play an important role in the host-parasite interaction, as well as CsTMX probably involved in immunoregulation of host by inducing Th1-type dominated immune response in rats.

Ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in NRSF/REST neuronal conditional knockout mice

The transcription regulator, neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF), also known as repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST), plays an important role in neurogenesis and various neuronal diseases such as ischaemia, epilepsy, and Huntington's disease. In these disease processes, neuronal loss is associated with abnormal expression and/or localization of NRSF. Previous studies have demonstrated that NRSF regulates the effect of ethanol on neuronal cells in vitro, however, the role of NRSF in ethanol-induced neuronal cell death remains unclear. We generated nrsf conditional knockout mice using the Cre-loxP system to disrupt neuronal expression of nrsf and its truncated forms. At postnatal day 6, ethanol significantly increased the expression of REST4, a neuron-specific truncated form of NRSF, in the brains of wild type mice, and this effect was diminished in nrsf conditional knockout mice. The apoptotic effect of ethanol was pronounced in multiple brain regions of nrsf conditional mutant mice. These results indicate that NRSF, specifically REST4, may protect the developing brain from ethanol, and provide new evidence that NRSF can be a therapeutic target in foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

[Analysis of pregnancy rates after treatment of tubal pregnancy with systemic methotrexate]

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the pregnancy rate after treatment of tubal pregnancy with the systemic methotrexate (MTX) injection.

METHODS

From March 1985 to August 1999, 129 women with confirmed unruptured tubal pregnancy, and desiring to conceive were selected. Among them 60 women were successfully treated with systemic MTX, and 69 with unilateral salpingectomy. All cases were followed up for 1-15 years.

RESULTS

The rates of subsequent intrauterine pregnancies (IUP) in the MTX group was 73% (44 cases) and of recurrent extrauterine pregnancies (EP) was 8% (5 cases). Among 69 patients treated by salpingectomy, the rates of IUP and EP was 70% (48 cases) and 4% (3 cases) respectively. The differences between the two groups were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of conservative management with MTX was similar to those of salpingectomy. The rate of subsequent pregnancy did not increased.

[Application of high frequency radiosurgical knife in the treatment of cervical diseases]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the indication, resection scope of loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and pathological characteristics.

METHODS

176 cases with abnormal cytological and colposcopical findings, including cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and atypical squamous cells of undermined significance (ASCUS), were studied. Conization of cervix was performed in 63 cases of > or = CIN2, of which 33 cases with LEEP and 30 by traditional electrosurgical knife (TEK) as controls. Cervical biopsy was performed in 113 cases of CIN1 and ASCUS, of which 60 cases by LEEP and 53 by cervical biopsy forceps (CBF) as controls.

RESULTS

Three months after conization of cervix the cytological persistent rate of disease was 6.1% in LEEP group and 6.7% in TEK group (P > 0.05). The operation duration of LEEP is (5.0 +/- 0.5) min, and is much shorter than TEK [(15.0 +/- 0.4) min]. The bleeding and recovery time of the cervix are also shorter (P < 0.01). Three months after cervical biopsy the cytological persistent rate of diseases was only 1.7% in LEEP group, significantly less than that in CBF group (35.8%).

CONCLUSION

LEEP is indicated to conization of cervix of CIN2-3 and cervical biopsy of CIN1 and ASCUS. It is safe and time-saving. The optimal depth of cervical conization and biopsy was 7 mm and 4 mm respectively in the cervix, and 15 mm and 4 mm respectively in the cervical tube. It can offer intact sample for pathological diagnosis, and has special value for detecting cervical microinvasive carcinoma and local minor carcinoma.

[A pathological study on the correlation of HPV infection with precancerous cervical lesions]

OBJECTIVE

To study the correlation of cervical condyloma and cancerous lesions with HPV infection.

METHODS

Cervical biopsies and histopathological examinations were performed on 179 cases which had abnormal cervical cytological smears. PCR was used to study the HPV-DNA of 128 cases and in situ hybridization (ISH) was used to study 10 cases.

RESULTS

1. Morphologic observations. Most cervical condyloma cases were of the morphologically flat type (97.7%). Two koilocyte types were observed, the classical, or so called diagnostic koilocyte type (39.7%) and the atypical type (60.3%). Cervical condyloma often occurred together with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN, 42.5%). 2. PCR HPV DNA subtype analysis. Of the 58 cervical flat condyloma, 5 were PHV6/11 positive (8.6%) and 28 were HPV16/18 positive (48.3%). 86.1% of those with atypical koilocyte and 9.1% of those with diagnostic koilocyte had HPV16/18 infection. 66.7% of the lesions in which condyloma coexisted with CIN(2-3) had HPV16/18 infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Most cervical condyloma lesions were of the flat type. The appearance of atypical koilocyte is correlated to HPV16/18 infection, which in turn is correlated to the degree of CIN malignancy.

[Relationship between histopathologic observation of cervical condyloma and human papillomavirus infection]

OBJECTIVE

To study the relationship between histopathologic changes of cervical condyloma and different subtypes human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

METHODS

158 women with abnormal Pap smears diagnosed by computer assisted cytologic technique (CCT) including 71 cases with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 65 cases with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), 17 cases with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and 5 cases with squamous cancers, underwent directed biopsies under colposcopy and were simultaneously detected for HPV6/11, HPV16/18 DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Koilocytotisis in 73 cases with pathologically proven cervical condyloma were grouped into type I and II according to its atypical degree of nuclei.

RESULTS

HPV16/18 infection rate among condylomas cases was 86.0%, which was significantly higher than that of type I (16.7%) (P < 0.01). In LSIL with type II koilocytotisis, HPV16/18 infection rate and abnormal mitotic figures (AMFs) occurrence were 85.7%, significantly higher than those in type I koilocytotisis or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia I.

CONCLUSIONS

Type II koilocytotisis was correlated with HPV16/18 infection. LSIL with type II koilocytotisises, distinct atypical nuclei, also associated with high HPV16/18 rate and AMFs, therefore treatment and follow-up should be more aggressive.

[Detection and sequence analysis of the p53 gene mutation in epithelial ovarian cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To find the characteristics of p53 gene mutation in epithelial ovarian cancer and to analyze the relationship between p53 mutation and FIGO stage.

METHODS

p53 mutations in exon 5 to 7 were detected by single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing technique.

RESULTS

8 of 46 tumor tissues demonstrated a SSCP band shift in the region of the gene. All of them have been characterized to represent DNA alterations by sequencing, including 8 point mutations (6 missence, 1 silent mutation and 1 in intron) and a 1-base pair insertion (introducing a stop codon downstream). Overall, 88.9% of mutation were transitions, and most of them are G-->A transitions (7/8, 87.5%). 62.5% of the mutation were found in 175 and 245 codon. The percentage of the mutation in stage I and stage II was 20.0%, and in stage III and stage IV was 16.7% (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The arising of p53 mutations in ovarian cancer is due to spontaneous error in DNA synthesis and repair. Codon 175, 245 are the two mutational hot spots. There is no relationship between the mutation of p53 gene and FIGO stage in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Amplifications of proto-oncogenes in ovarian carcinoma

Thirty-two cases of ovarian carcinoma, two of normal ovaries, four of benign epithelial ovarian tumor, and three of borderline epithelial ovarian tumor were studied using Southern blot hybridization of DNA. In 15 of the 32 cases of ovarian carcinoma, peripheral lymphocytes were also studied. The amplification rate of C-myc, C-N-ras, C-Ki-ras and C-erbB-2 in ovarian carcinoma were 50%, 44%, 31% and 25% respectively. The amplification of C-Ki-ras and C-N-ras took place chiefly in cases of early stage and those of good differentiation. The amplification of C-N-ras was also found in cases of advanced stage. The amplifications of C-myc and C-erbB-2 were chiefly found in cases above stage III and those of poor differentiation. A total of 83% of the patients who died were found to have amplifications of more than 2 proto-oncogenes, with which the amplification of C-erbB-2 was involved.

[Amplification of proto-oncogenes C-myc, C-N-ras, C-Ki-ras, C-erbB2 in ovarian carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the amplification rate of C-myc, C-N-ras, C-Ki-ras, C-erbB2 in human ovarian carcinoma.

METHODS

Southern blot hybridization of DNA was employed, pathological diagnosis was made from fresh tissues. The beta-globin gene was used as an internal control.

RESULTS

The amplification rate of C-myc, C-N-ras, C-Ki-ras and C-erbB2 in ovarian carcinoma was 50%, 44%, 31% and 25% respectively. The amplification rates of C-myc, C-erbB2 in stage III and IV were all significantly greater than that in stage I (P < 0.01). The amplification rate of C-N-ras in stage I was also significantly greater than that in stage III (P < 0.01). The amplification rate of C-Ki-ras in stage I was significantly greater than that in stage III or IV (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The amplification of C-Ki-ras and C-N-ras took place chiefly in cases of the early stages and in cases with good differentiation. The amplification of C-N-ras was also found in cases of advanced stages. The amplifications of C-myc and C-erbB2 were chiefly found in cases above stage III and in cases with poor differentiation, 83% of the patients who died were found to have amplifications of more than 2 proto-oncogenes, with the amplification of C-erbB2 involved in all of them.

Comparison of four methods to generate immunoreactive fragments of a murine monoclonal antibody OC859 against human ovarian epithelial cancer antigen

In the present study, four different proteases (pepsin, papain, bromelain and ficin) were screened with a murine monoclonal antibody OC859, in order to verify whether different digestion procedures could improve yield and stability of the F(ab')2 or Fab fragments. The yields of F(ab')2 or Fab fragments from digestion with pepsin, papain, bromelain and ficin were respectively 20.3 +/- 2.0%, 50.5 +/- 5.0%, 74.4 +/- 2.7% and 82.8 +/- 10.2% of the theoretical maximum. Immunoreactivity in a noncompetitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA) of the fragments generated by the four proteases were respectively 10 +/- 5%, 36 +/- 5%, 60 +/- 6% and 75 +/- 6% of the intact OC859 IgG. These results suggested that the fragmentation of OC859 with ficin gave a higher yield of superior immunoreactive fragments.

[Serum lipid-associated sialic acid (LSA) in diagnosing and monitoring ovarian cancer]

Serum from 161 patients with ovarian cancer, 28 patients with benign gynecologic disorders and 22 healthy women, was assayed for levels of tumor marker LSA, which were compared with CA125. The results showed that in the patients with ovarian cancer, the sensitivities of LSA and CA125 for the patients prior to surgery were 83.0% and 92.5%, respectively; the sensitivities for the recurrent patients after surgery were 73.7% and 82.5% respectively. A total sensitivity of 89.5% was obtained by combination of both markers. The positive predictive value of LSA and CA125 for the patients with suspected tumor recurrence were 89.4% and 100%, respectively, and their corroborative rate with the postoperative courses were 94.4% and 100%, respectively. Thus serum assay of LSA, can be used in monitoring patients with ovarian cancer. The technique for determination of serum level of LSA is much more simple and less expensive than the radioimmuno-assay of serum level of CA125.

[The prenatal diagnosis of hemophilia A--the use of PCR and family RFLP analysis]

Seven families with hemophilia A were analyzed by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Prenatal diagnosis was performed in 4 cases at high risk of hemophilia A. The results suggested that the gene fragment of factor VIII might be amplified by the simple, fast and sensitive PCR technique and is especially suited to prenatal diagnosis using very small amounts of chorionic villi or amniocytes. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLPs) analysis of BclI was also performed. The sample, which could not be diagnosed by BclI, could be analyzed with RFLPs of XbaI. Finally, DNA probe's Southern blotting analysis could be used for those samples which could not be diagnosed with XbaI. 85% of all hemophilia A cases could be diagnosed with our technique.