Gut microbial co-metabolite 2-methylbutyrylcarnitine exacerbates thrombosis via binding to and activating integrin α2β1

Thrombosis represents the leading cause of death and disability upon major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Numerous pathological conditions such as COVID-19 and metabolic disorders can lead to a heightened thrombotic risk; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Our study illustrates that 2-methylbutyrylcarnitine (2MBC), a branched-chain acylcarnitine, is accumulated in patients with COVID-19 and in patients with MACEs. 2MBC enhances platelet hyperreactivity and thrombus formation in mice. Mechanistically, 2MBC binds to integrin α2β1 in platelets, potentiating cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) activation and platelet hyperresponsiveness. Genetic depletion or pharmacological inhibition of integrin α2β1 largely reverses the pro-thrombotic effects of 2MBC. Notably, 2MBC can be generated in a gut-microbiota-dependent manner, whereas the accumulation of plasma 2MBC and its thrombosis-aggravating effect are largely ameliorated following antibiotic-induced microbial depletion. Our study implicates 2MBC as a metabolite that links gut microbiota dysbiosis to elevated thrombotic risk, providing mechanistic insight and a potential therapeutic strategy for thrombosis.

Dietary supplementation of proteases on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics and gut microbiota of growing pigs fed sorghum-based diets

Low-tannin sorghum is an excellent energy source in pig diets. However, sorghum contains several anti-nutritional factors that may have negative effects on nutrient digestibility. The impacts of proteases on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, and gut microbiota of growing pigs fed sorghum-based diets were studied in this study. Ninety-six pigs (20.66 ± 0.65 kg BW) were allocated into three groups (eight pens/group, four pigs/pen): (1) CON (control diet, sorghum-based diet included 66.98% sorghum), (2) PRO1 (CON + 200 mg/kg proteases), (3) PRO2 (CON + 400 mg/kg proteases) for 28 d. No differences were observed in growth performance and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients between CON and PRO1 groups. Pigs fed PRO2 diet had increased (P < 0.05) BW on d 21 and 28, and increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain during d 14-21 and the overall period compared with pigs fed CON diet. In addition, pigs fed PRO2 diet had improved (P < 0.05) ATTD of gross energy, CP, and DM compared with pigs fed CON and PRO1 diets. Pigs fed PRO2 diet had lower (P < 0.05) plasma globulin (GLB) level and higher (P < 0.05) plasma glucose, albumin (ALB) and immunoglobulin G levels, and ALB/GLB ratio than pigs fed CON and PRO1 diets. Furthermore, pigs fed PRO2 diet had decreased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota at the phylum level and increased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Prevotella_9 at the genus level. The linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis also showed that pigs fed PRO2 diet had significantly enriched short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, such as Subdoligranulum and Parabacteroides. In conclusion, protease supplementation at 400 mg/kg improved the growth performance of growing pigs fed sorghum-based diets, which may be attributed to the improvement of nutrient digestibility, host metabolism, immune status and associated with the altered gut microbiota profiles.

Effects of dietary methionine supplementation from different sources on growth performance and meat quality of barrows and gilts

Methionine is indispensable for growth and meat formation in pigs. However, it is still unclear that increasing dietary sulphur-containing amino acid (SAA) levels using different methionine sources affects the growth performance and meat quality of barrows and gilts. To investigate this, 144 pigs (half barrows and half gilts) were fed the control (100% SAA, CON), DL-Methionine (125% SAA, DL-Met)-supplemented, or OH-Methionine (125% SAA, OH-Met)-supplemented diets during the 11-110 kg period. The results showed that plasma methionine levels varied among treatments during the experimental phase, with increased plasma methionine levels observed following increased SAA consumption during the 25-45 kg period. In contrast, pigs fed the DL-Met diet had lower plasma methionine levels than those fed the CON diet (95-110 kg). Additionally, gilts fed the DL-Met or OH-Met diets showed decreased drip loss in longissimus lumborum muscle (LM) compared to CON-fed gilts. OH-Met-fed gilts had higher pH45min values than those fed the CON or DL-Met diets, whereas OH-Met-fed barrows had higher L45min values than those fed the CON or DL-Met diets. Moreover, increased consumption of SAA, regardless of the methionine source, tended to decrease the shear force of the LM in pigs. In conclusion, this study indicates that increasing dietary levels of SAA (+25%) appeared to improve the meat quality of gilts by decreasing drip loss and increasing meat tenderness.

Sodium MRI at 7T for Early Response Evaluation of Intracranial Tumors following Stereotactic Radiotherapy Using the CyberKnife

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Conventionally, early treatment response to stereotactic radiotherapy in intracranial tumors is often determined by structural MR imaging. Tissue sodium concentration is altered by cellular integrity and energy status in cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the feasibility of sodium MR imaging at 7T for the preliminary evaluation of radiotherapeutic efficacy for intracranial tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were collected from 16 patients (12 men and 4 women, 24-75 years of age) with 22 intracranial tumors who were treated with stereotactic radiation therapy using CyberKnife at our institution between December 1, 2016, and August 15, 2019. Sodium MR imaging was performed at 7T before and 48 hours, 1 week, and 1 month after CyberKnife radiation therapy. Tissue sodium concentration (TSC) was calculated and analyzed based on manually labeled regions of tumors.

RESULTS

Ultra-high-field sodium MR imaging clearly showed the intratumoral signal, which is significantly higher than that of normal tissue (t = 5.250, P <.001)., but the edema zone has some influence. The average TSC ratios of tumor to CSF in the 22 tumors, contralateral normal tissues, edema zones, frontal cortex, and frontal white matter were 0.66 (range, 0.23-1.5), 0.30 (range, 0.15-0.43), 0.58 (range, 0.25-1.21), 0.25 (range, 0.17-0.42), and 0.30 (range, 0.19-0.49), respectively. A total of 12 tumors in 8 patients were scanned at 48 hours, 1 week, and 1 month after treatment. The average TSC at 48 hours after treatment was 0.06 higher than that before treatment and began to decrease at 1 week. The TSC ratios of 10 continued to decline and 2 tumors increased at 1 month, respectively. Tumor volume decreased by 2.4%-99% after 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in the TSC can be quantified by sodium MR imaging at 7T and used to detect radiobiologic alterations in intracranial tumors at early time points after CyberKnife radiation therapy.

COVID-19 induces new-onset insulin resistance and lipid metabolic dysregulation via regulation of secreted metabolic factors

Abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism in COVID-19 patients were recently reported with unclear mechanism. In this study, we retrospectively investigated a cohort of COVID-19 patients without pre-existing metabolic-related diseases, and found new-onset insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, and decreased HDL-C in these patients. Mechanistically, SARS-CoV-2 infection increased the expression of RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST), which modulated the expression of secreted metabolic factors including myeloperoxidase, apelin, and myostatin at the transcriptional level, resulting in the perturbation of glucose and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, several lipids, including (±)5-HETE, (±)12-HETE, propionic acid, and isobutyric acid were identified as the potential biomarkers of COVID-19-induced metabolic dysregulation, especially in insulin resistance. Taken together, our study revealed insulin resistance as the direct cause of hyperglycemia upon COVID-19, and further illustrated the underlying mechanisms, providing potential therapeutic targets for COVID-19-induced metabolic complications.

Identification of Diagnostic Signatures and Immune Cell Infiltration Characteristics in Rheumatoid Arthritis by Integrating Bioinformatic Analysis and Machine-Learning Strategies

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refers to an autoimmune rheumatic disease that imposes a huge burden on patients and society. Early RA diagnosis is critical to preventing disease progression and selecting optimal therapeutic strategies more effectively. In the present study, the aim was at examining RA's diagnostic signatures and the effect of immune cell infiltration in this pathology.

Methods

Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database provided three datasets of gene expressions. Firstly, this study adopted R software for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and conducting functional correlation analyses. Subsequently, we integrated bioinformatic analysis and machine-learning strategies for screening and determining RA's diagnostic signatures and further verify by qRT-PCR. The diagnostic values were assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Moreover, this study employed cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcript (CIBERSORT) website for assessing the inflammatory state of RA, and an investigation was conducted on the relationship of diagnostic signatures and infiltrating immune cells.

Results

On the whole, 54 robust DEGs received the recognition. Lymphocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1), Granulysin (GNLY), and Mesenchymal homobox 2 (MEOX2) (AUC = 0.955) were regarded as RA's diagnostic markers and showed their statistically significant difference by qRT-PCR. As indicated from the immune cell infiltration analysis, resting NK cells, neutrophils, activated NK cells, T cells CD8, memory B cells, and M0 macrophages may be involved in the development of RA. Additionally, all diagnostic signatures might be different degrees of correlation with immune cells.

Conclusions

In conclusion, LSP1, GNLY, and MEOX2 are likely to be available in terms of diagnosing and treating RA, and the infiltration of immune cells mentioned above may critically impact RA development and occurrence.

ARG2, MAP4K5 and TSTA3 as Diagnostic Markers of Steroid-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head and Their Correlation With Immune Infiltration

Background

The diagnosis for steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) is hard to achieve at the early stage, which results in patients receiving ineffective treatment options and a poor prognosis for most cases. The present study aimed to find potential diagnostic markers of SONFH and analyze the effect exerted by infiltration of immune cells in this pathology.

Materials and Methods

R software was adopted for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and conducting functional investigation based on the microarray dataset. Then we combined SVM-RFE, WGCNA, LASSO logistic regression, and random forest (RF) algorithms for screening the diagnostic markers of SONFH and further verification by qRT-PCR. The diagnostic values were assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. CIBERSORT was then adopted for assessing the infiltration of immune cells and the relationship of infiltration-related immune cells and diagnostic markers.

Results

We identified 383 DEGs overall. This study found ARG2, MAP4K5, and TSTA3 (AUC = 0.980) to be diagnostic markers of SONFH. The results of qRT-PCR showed a statistically significant difference in all markers. Analysis of infiltration of immune cells indicated that neutrophils, activated dendritic cells and memory B cells were likely to show the relationship with SONFH occurrence and progress. Additionally, all diagnostic markers had different degrees of correlation with T cell follicular helper, neutrophils, memory B cells, and activated dendritic cells.

Conclusion

ARG2, MAP4K5, and TSTA3 are potential diagnostic genes for SONFH, and infiltration of immune cells may critically impact SONFH occurrence and progression.

Hydrotherapy Intervention for Patients Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review

Background Hydrotherapy or aquatic exercise has long been known as a source of postoperative rehabilitation proposed in routine clinical practice. However, the effect on clinical outcome as well as the optimal timing of hydrotherapy in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remain unclear. The purpose of this review was to assess the influence of aquatic physiotherapy on clinical outcomes and evaluate the role of the timing of aquatic-therapy for clinical outcomes after undergoing TKA.

Methods An extensive literature search was performed in Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the impact of hydrotherapy on patients after TKA. The methodological quality of the trials was evaluated based on the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.

Results All available studies on postoperative hydrotherapy after TKA were included. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the effect of hydrotherapy on clinical outcomes. The secondary outcome was to explore the role of the timing of aquatic therapy for clinical outcomes following TKA.

Conclusion Although definitive conclusions could not be reached due to insufficient data, most studies indicated that participants benefited from aquatic-therapy in muscle strength, rather than gait speed, after TKA. Currently available data demonstrated that early postoperative hydrotherapy possessed a greater potential to improve clinical outcomes in main clinical scores and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).

The role of perioperative intravenous low-dose dexamethasone in rapid recovery after total knee arthroplasty: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the overall safety and effectiveness of perioperative intravenous dexamethasone to facilitate postoperative rehabilitation in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed using the Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to 2020. Methodological quality of the trials was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and the relevant data were extracted using a predefined data extraction form.

RESULTS

Ten RCTs with 1100 knees were included. Our study showed a significant reduction in pain using a postoperative pain visual analog scale (VAS) at 24 hours and 48 hours, total opioid consumption at 24 hours and 48 hours, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), active range of motion (ROM) limitation, and passive ROM limitation at 72 hours in dexamethasone-treated groups compared with controls.

CONCLUSION

Intravenous low-dose dexamethasone is potentially useful in the perioperative setting for reducing postsurgical immediate ROM limitations, pain, opioid consumption, and PONV. There are no data that directly attribute an increase in postoperative complications to intravenous dexamethasone. More high-quality studies are necessary to draw these conclusions.

Continuous adductor canal block provides better performance after total knee arthroplasty compared with the single-shot adductor canal block?: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Adductor canal block (ACB) has emerged as an attractive alternative for femoral nerve blocks (FNB) as the peripheral nerve block of choice for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), preserving quadriceps motor function while providing analgesia comparable to FNB. However, its optimal application for TKA remains controversial. The objective of this meta-analysis was to compare continuous-injection ACB (CACB) vs single-injection ACB (SACB) for postoperative pain control in patients undergoing TKA.

METHODS

This study attempts to identify the available and relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the analgesic effects of CACB compared to SACB in patients undergoing TKA according to electronic databases, including PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, EMbase, and the Cochrane Library, up to September 2019. Primary outcomes in this regard included the use of a visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score with rest or activity, while secondary outcomes were cumulative opioid consumption, length of hospital stay (LOS), complications of vomiting and nausea, and rescue analgesia. The corresponding data were analyzed using RevMan v5.3.

ETHICAL REVIEW

Because all of the data used in this systematic review and meta-analysis has been published, the ethical approval was not necessary RESULTS:: This research included 9 studies comprised of 739 patients. The analyzed outcomes demonstrated that patients who received CACB had a better at rest-VAS scores at 4 hours (P = .007), 8 hors (P < .0001), 12 hours (P < .0001), 24 hours (P = .02), mobilization-VAS score at 48 hours (P < .0001), and rescue analgesia (P = .03) than those who underwent SACB. Nevertheless, no significant differences were present between the 2 strategies in terms of pain VAS scores 48 hours at rest (P = .23) and 24 hours at mobilization (P = .10), complications of vomiting and nausea (P = .42), and length of hospital stay (P = .09).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis indicated that CACB is superior to SACB in regard to analgesic effect following TKA. However, due to the variation of the included studies, no firm conclusions can be drawn. Further investigations into RCT are required for verification.

The effect of musical interventions in improving short-term pain outcomes following total knee replacement: a meta-analysis and systematic review

BACKGROUND

A growing number of patients continue to receive total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. Nevertheless, such surgeries result in moderate to severe postoperative pain and difficulty in managing it. Musical interventions are regarded as a type of multimodal analgesia, achieving beneficial results in other clinical treatments. This study aims to evaluate the effect of musical interventions in improving short-term pain outcomes following TKR in order to determine a more reasonable and standard way of delivering musical intervention.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted to identify available and relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding musical interventions compared against non-musical interventions in patients treated with TKR in Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang Med Online up to 8 January 2020. The authors independently assessed study eligibility and risk of bias and collected the outcomes of interest to analyze. The statistical analysis was conducted using the Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.30 software.

RESULTS

Eight RCTs comprised of 555 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the present study. The results showed no significant difference between the music and control groups in pain of the visual analog scale (VAS), during postoperative recovery room, back to the ward after surgery; anxiety degree of VAS; heart rate; respiratory rate; oxygen saturation; blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. Nevertheless, significant differences were observed between the two groups in average increase in continuous passive motion (CPM) angles and LF/HF ratio (one kind index of heart rate variability).

CONCLUSIONS

Musical interventions fail to demonstrate an obvious effect in improving short-term pain outcomes following TKR. A reasonable standardization of musical interventions, including musical type, outcome measures used, outcomes measured, duration, timing and headphones or players, may improve pain outcomes with certain advantages and should be further explored after TKR.

Nanoscale diffusive memristor crossbars as physical unclonable functions

Physical unclonable functions have emerged as promising hardware security primitives for device authentication and key generation in the era of the Internet of Things. Herein, we report novel physical unclonable functions built upon the crossbars of nanoscale diffusive memristors that translate the stochastic distribution of Ag clusters in a SiO₂ matrix into a random binary bitmap that serves as a device fingerprint. The random dispersion of Ag led to an uneven number of clusters at each cross-point, which in turn resulted in a stochastic ability to switch in the Ag:SiO₂ diffusive memristors in an array. The randomness of the dispersion was a barrier to fingerprint cloning and the unique fingerprints of each device were persistent after fabrication. Using an optimized fabrication procedure, we maximized the randomness and achieved an inter-class Hamming distance of 50.68%. We also discovered that the bits were not flipping after over 10⁴ s at 400 K, suggesting superior reliability of our physical unclonable functions. In addition, our diffusive memristor-based physical unclonable functions were easy to fabricate and did not require complicated post-processing for digitization and thus, provide new opportunities in hardware security applications.

Decreased Expression of MYPT1 Contributes to Tumor Angiogenesis and Poor Patient Prognosis in Human Prostate Cancer

BACKGROUND

Our previous study demonstrated that Myosin Phosphatase Targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1) may function as a direct target of microRNA-30d, which promotes tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth of prostate cancer (PCa). Here, we aimed to investigate the clinical significance of MYPT1 expression and its functions in PCa.

METHODS

Roles of MYPT1 deregulation in tumor angiogenesis of PCa was determined in vitro and in vivo experiments. Expression patterns of MYPT1 and CD31 proteins were examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, respectively. Associations of MYPT1/CD31 combination with various clinicopathological features and patients' prognosis of PCa were also statistically evaluated.

RESULTS

Through gain- and loss-of-function experiments, MYPT1 inhibited capillary tube formation of endothelial cells and in vivo tumor angiogenesis in a mouse model with the downregulation of VEGF and CD31 expression. In addition, MYPT1 expression was significantly decreased, while CD31 expression was dramatically increased in PCa tissues compared to benign prostate tissues. Notably, MYPT1 expression levels in PCa tissues were negatively correlated with that of CD31. Statistically, MYPT1-low/CD31- high expression was distinctly associated with high Gleason score, positive biochemical recurrence, and reduced overall survival of PCa patients. Moreover, PCa patients with MYPT1-low/CD31-high expression more frequently had shorter overall, biochemical recurrence-free and metastasis-free survivals. MYPT1/CD31 combination was identified as an independent factor to predict biochemical recurrence-free and metastasis-free survivals of PCa patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that MYPT1 may inhibit angiogenesis and contribute favorable prognosis in PCa patients, implying that MYPT1 might be a potential drug candidate in anticancer therapy.

Perdeuterated and 13C-enriched myo-inositol for DNP assisted monitoring of enzymatic phosphorylation by inositol-3-kinase

The synthesis of perdeuterated and 13C enriched myo-inositol is presented. Myo-inositol and its derivatives are of interest as substrates for enzymes producing phosphorylated species with regulatory functions in many organisms. Its utility in monitoring real-time phosphorylation by myo-inositol-3-kinase is illustrated using dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) to enhance NMR observation.

Mechanism of pingyangmycin-induced apoptosis of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells

In this study, we investigated the effects of pingyangmycin (PYM) on the growth inhibition and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In this study, we aimed to explore the optimal concentration of PYM to induce the apoptosis of HUVEC and to determine its mechanism of action. After treatment of HUVEC with different concentrations of PYM for 24 h, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect growth inhibiting effects. Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide stain was used to detect apoptosis, and western blot was used to detect the expression of glucose-related protein 78 (GPR78) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins. With increasing PYM concentration, the growth inhibition of HUVEC increased (P < 0.05), the apoptotic numbers of HUVEC increased (P < 0.05), with higher PYM concentrations inducing necrosis, and the protein expression of GRP78 and CHOP increased (P < 0.05). PYM could obviously inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of HUVEC. Necrotic cells were more prevalent than apoptotic cells at high PYM concentrations. This study helped to determine the proper concentration of PYM to induce more apoptosis than necrosis, which is critical to minimize inflammation, enhance the healing of the skin, and maintain safety for the patient. PYM might induce HUVEC apoptosis through the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

Identification and pathogenicity of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates and immune responses of Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei (Boone)

Five different Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains (SH8, SH108, SH58, AH5 and GD10) isolated from the hepatopancreas of moribund shrimp in farms of mainland China were identified and capable of inducing massive mortality of Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei. The immersion challenge results with five isolates indicated variance of virulence, while only GD10 caused massive sloughing of tubule epithelial cells which was recognized as the most significant symptom of AHPND. Differences in immune responses were detected of P. vannamei during 48 h post-infection (p.i.) by injection or immersion challenge with V. parahaemolyticus (SH8, SH108 and GD10) isolates. When injected SH8 and SH108 isolates, the expression of lysozyme (LSZ) showing statistically significant upregulation at 16 and 48 h p.i. and that of Toll-like receptors (TLR) showed statistically significant upregulation at 48 h p.i. When immersion challenge with the GD10 isolate, TLR were upregulated after 8 h p.i. challenge with 10(4)  cfu mL(-1) ; however, LSZ was downregulated when challenged with 10(3)  cfu mL(-1) . The results suggested that LSZ and TLR serve as crucial molecular markers of innate immunity in shrimp against V. parahaemolyticus infection. LSZ is a vital marker for acute bacterial infection, while TLR serves as a crucial marker for chronic infection.

A novel aptasensor for thrombin detection based on alkaline phosphatase decorated ZnO/Pt nanoflowers as signal amplifiers

To remedy the problems caused by the introduction of an additional electron mediator and realize signal amplification, a new strategy has been presented to construct an electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin detection based on the cascade electrocatalysis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Pt nanoparticle (PtNP)-functionalized ZnO nanoflowers.

Effects of long term treatment with high doses of odanacatib on bone mass, bone strength, and remodeling/modeling in newly ovariectomized monkeys

The objectives here were to evaluate the effects of odanacatib (ODN) at doses exceeding the clinical exposure on biomechanical properties of lumbar vertebrae (LV), hip and central femur (CF), and compare ODN to alendronate (ALN) on bone remodeling/modeling in ovariectomized (OVX) monkeys. Ten days post-surgery, animals were treated with vehicle (VEH), ODN-L (2mg/kg/day, p.o.), ODN-H (8/4mg/kg/day), or ALN (30μg/kg/week, s.c.) for 20months. An intact group was also included. ODN-L provided systemic exposures of 1.8-fold of clinical exposure. ODN-H started at 20-fold for 5.5months, and then reduced to 7.8-fold of clinical exposure, compared to ALN at approximated clinical exposure. From cross sectional analyses, LV density and peak load in ODN at both doses or ALN were not different from VEH or Intact. However, cortical thickness of femoral neck (FN) and CF in ODN were higher (21-34%, p<0.05) than VEH, due to smaller endocortical (Ec) perimeter of FN (10-11%; p<0.05) and CF (9-12%; ODN-L, p<0.05), and larger CF periosteal (Ps) perimeter (2-12%; ODN-H, p<0.001) versus VEH. ODN groups also showed slightly higher cortical porosity and Ps non-lamellar bone in CF. ODN-H treatment resulted in higher CF peak load (p<0.05) versus VEH. For all bone sites analyzed, a positive, linear relationship (r(2)=0.46-0.69, p<0.0001) of peak load to density or structural parameters was demonstrated. No treatment-related differences in the derived intrinsic strength properties were evidenced as compared between groups. ALN reduced all remodeling surfaces without affecting Ps modeling. Trabecular and intracortical remodeling were reduced in ODN groups, similar to ALN. Ec mineralizing surface in ODN-H trended to be lower than VEH by month 20, but Ec bone formation indices in ODN groups generally were not different from VEH. Ps modeling in ODN groups was significantly higher than other treatment groups. This study overall demonstrated the bone safety profile of ODN and its unique mechanism on cortical bone supporting the clinical application for osteoporosis treatment.

Recent advances in engineering nonribosomal peptide assembly lines

Nonribosomal peptides are amongst the most widespread and structurally diverse secondary metabolites in nature with many possessing bioactivity that can be exploited for therapeutic applications. Due to the major challenges associated with total- and semi-synthesis, bioengineering approaches have been developed to increase yields and generate modified peptides with improved physicochemical properties or altered bioactivity. Here we review the major advances that have been made over the last decade in engineering the biosynthesis of nonribosomal peptides. Structural diversity has been introduced by the modification of enzymes required for the supply of precursors or by heterologous expression of tailoring enzymes. The modularity of nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) assembly lines further supports module or domain swapping methodologies to achieve changes in the amino acid sequence of nonribosomal peptides. We also review the new synthetic biology technologies promising to speed up the process, enabling the creation and optimisation of many more assembly lines for heterologous expression, offering new opportunities for engineering the biosynthesis of novel nonribosomal peptides.

Recent Advances in Biosensing With Photonic Crystal Surfaces: A Review

Photonic crystal surfaces that are designed to function as wavelength-selective optical resonators have become a widely adopted platform for label-free biosensing, and for enhancement of the output of photon-emitting tags used throughout life science research and in vitro diagnostics. While some applications, such as analysis of drug-protein interactions, require extremely high resolution and the ability to accurately correct for measurement artifacts, others require sensitivity that is high enough for detection of disease biomarkers in serum with concentrations less than 1 pg/ml. As the analysis of cells becomes increasingly important for studying the behavior of stem cells, cancer cells, and biofilms under a variety of conditions, approaches that enable high resolution imaging of live cells without cytotoxic stains or photobleachable fluorescent dyes are providing new tools to biologists who seek to observe individual cells over extended time periods. This paper will review several recent advances in photonic crystal biosensor detection instrumentation and device structures that are being applied towards direct detection of small molecules in the context of high throughput drug screening, photonic crystal fluorescence enhancement as utilized for high sensitivity multiplexed cancer biomarker detection, and label-free high resolution imaging of cells and individual nanoparticles as a new tool for life science research and single-molecule diagnostics.

Conservation and population genetic diversity of Curcuma wenyujin (Zingiberaceae), a multifunctional medicinal herb

Curcuma wenyujin is an important multifunctional medicinal herb in China. Currently, populations of C. wenyujin are decreasing, and wild individuals have almost disappeared from their natural habitats. Moreover, little is known regarding the molecular characteristics of this plant. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and variation of five populations of C. wenyujin, using ran-dom amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. We found that the percentages of polymorphic loci (PPL) at the species level (98.25% by RAPD and 100% by ISSR) were significantly higher than those at the population level (66.32% by RAPD and 67.14% by ISSR). The highest values of PPL, expected heterozygosity, and Shannon's information index were in Pop1, while the lowest values were in Pop2. Both DNA markers revealed a short genetic distance between Pop1 and Pop2 (0.1424 by RAPD and 0.1904 by ISSR). Phylogenetic trees produced similar results, with Pop1, Pop2, and Pop5 in one group and Pop3 and Pop4 in another. There were no significant correlations between their genetic distances and their geographical distances. The highest genetic diversity was in Pop1 and the lowest was in Pop2, and genetic diversity at the species level was relatively low, but much higher than that at the population level. We recommended the establishment of a germplasm bank, in situ con-servation, and propagation of wild individuals. The present study will improve the evaluation, protection, and utilization of the population resources of C. wenyujin.

Immune memory responses to HBV vaccine 13-18 years after primary vaccination

The aim of this study was to evaluate the immune memory response 13-18 years after an hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine by performing a specific in vitro stimulation experiment. Thirty healthy volunteers who had been inoculated 13-18 years ago with the HBV vaccine were collected from the physical examination center. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with 50 ng/mL recombinant HBsAg. An ELISA kit was used for the detection of antibodies that were produced by these cells in vitro. It was found that even 13-18 years after inoculation with the HBV vaccine, an anamnestic antibody response still existed, and was not correlated with the serum antibody levels (r = -0.177, P = 0.377). In conclusion, our data showed that the individuals after inoculation, including those with anti-HBs <10 IU/L as well as those individuals in whom the antibody was not detected, retained immune memory, which may be the main role of memory B cells.

Inhibition of bone resorption by the cathepsin K inhibitor odanacatib is fully reversible

The cathepsin K (CatK) inhibitor odanacatib (ODN) is currently being developed for the treatment of osteoporosis. In clinical trials, efficacy and resolution of effect of ODN treatment on bone turnover biomarkers and accrued bone mass have been demonstrated. Here, we examine the effects of continuing treatment and discontinuation of ODN versus alendronate (ALN) on osteoclast (OC) function. First, accessibility and reversible engagement of active CatK in intracellular vesicles and resorption lacunae of actively resorbing OCs were demonstrated by the selective and reversible CatK inhibitors, BODIPY-L-226 (IC50=39nM) and L-873,724 (IC50=0.5nM). Next, mature human OCs on bone slices were treated with vehicle, ODN, or ALN for 2days, followed by either continuing with the same treatment, or replacement of the inhibitors by vehicle for additional times as specified per experimental conditions. Maintaining OCs on ODN or ALN significantly reduced CTx-I release compared to vehicle controls. However, only the treatment of OCs with ODN resulted in the formation of small shallow discrete resorption pits, retention of intracellular vesicles enriched with CatK and other lysosomal enzymes, increase in 1-CTP release and number of TRAP(+) OCs. Upon discontinuation of ODN treatment, OCs rapidly resumed bone resorption activity, as demonstrated by a return of OC functional markers (CTx-I, 1-CTP), cell number and size, morphology and number of resorption pits, and vesicular secretion of CatK toward the respective vehicle levels. As expected, discontinuation of ALN did not reverse the treatment-related inhibition of OC activity in the time frame of the experiment. In summary, this study demonstrated rapid kinetics of inhibition and reversibility of the effects of ODN on OC bone resorption, that differentiated the cellular mechanism of CatK inhibition from that of the bisphosphate antiresorptive ALN.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 rescues the oxidative stress induced by di-N-butylphthalate in testicular Leydig cells

Aim:

This study aimed to determine whether nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 antagonized the oxidative stress induced by di- N-butylphthalate (DBP) in testicular Leydig cells.

Methods:

Mouse TM3 testicular Leydig cells were treated with Nrf2 knockdown (KD) or overexpression in the presence and absence of DBP. Oxidative profiles were examined. Nrf2 target antioxidant genes were studied, and the effects of Nrf2 inducer sulphoraphane (SFN) were tested.

Results:

DBP induced intracellular oxidative stress to a similar extent with Nrf2 KD. Expression and protein levels of Nrf2 were increased together with its target genes, namely heme oxygenase 1, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate quinone oxidoreductase 1 and peroxiredoxin 6, following DBP stimulation. Use of SFN not only restored the intracellular oxidative toxicity but also cell proliferation and testosterone secretion in response to DBP.

Conclusion:

Increased Nrf2 activity, for example, by SFN can effectively antagonize the oxidative stress in testicular Leydig cells caused by DBP.

The effects of the cathepsin K inhibitor odanacatib on osteoclastic bone resorption and vesicular trafficking

Odanacatib (ODN) is a selective, potent and reversible inhibitor of cathepsin K (CatK) that inhibits bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Evidence from osteoclast (OC) formation from bone marrow of CatK(-/-) mice or human OC progenitors treated with ODN, demonstrated that CatK inhibition has no effect on osteoclastogenesis or survival of OCs. Although having no impact on OC activation, ODN reduces resorption activity as measured by CTx release (IC(50)=9.4 nM) or resorption area (IC(50)=6.5 nM). While untreated cells generate deep trail-like resorption lacunae, treated OCs form small discrete shallow pits. ODN leads to significant accumulation of intracellular vesicles intensely stained for CatK and TRAP. CatK (+) vesicles localize toward the basolateral and functional secretory membranes of the polarized OC and TRAP(+) vesicles evenly distribute in the cytoplasm, suggesting that ODN disrupts multiple vesicular trafficking pathways. Intracellular levels of both precursor and mature TRAP were increased by 2-fold and the pre-pro and mature CatK by 6- and 2-fold in ODN-treated OCs compared to untreated controls. ODN treated OC accumulates labeled degraded bone matrix proteins in CatK containing vesicles. In summary, ODN treatment inhibits bone resorption by blocking degradation of demineralized collagen in the resorption lacunae, and retarding transcytosis for further processing of degraded proteins.

Construction of the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein expression vector carrying IFN-gamma gene

PURPOSE

To construct the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) vector carrying interferon-gamma gene (ifn-gamma) in order to provide an ideal reporter in the expression of ifn-gamma and location of protein in vitro and in vivo.

METHOD

According to the nucleotide sequence of ifn-gamma gene, a pair of oligonucleotides was designed as primer whose two end contained nucleotide sequence of EcoR V and Not I restriction endonuclease respectively. The gene encoding for inf-gamma was amplified using PCR technqiue. After the PCR product was retrieved and purified, it was digested with EcoR V and Not I restriction endonuclease, and then cloned into the plasmid pIRES-EYFP. The recombinant plasmid pIRES-EYFPIFN-gamma was identified by restriction endonuclease enzyme analysis and DNA sequence analysis.

RESULTS

The ifn-gamma was successfully amplified and verified by partial DNA sequence analysis. The recombinant plasmid was correctly screened.

CONCLUSION

The EYFP expression vector carrying ifn-gamma gene was successfully established. This research work has formed a base for monitoring the ifn-gamma gene expression and protein position in living cells.

Identified circadian rhythm genes of ciliary epithelium with differential display

PURPOSE

To identify differential genes expressed in the rabbit ciliary epithelium during the circadian cycle of aqueous flow.

METHODS

Total RNA from ciliary epithelium of rabbits at 8 AM (light on 1 hour) and 8 PM (light off 1 hour) were compared by differential display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (DD RT-PCR), using 6% denaturing polyacrylamide electrophoresis, choose differential display bands, cut and reamplify with the same primer, clone and sequence. Search the database of Genbank, prolong them with 5' RACE and 3' RACE technique then clone, sequence and search database of Genbank.

RESULTS

93 Significant differences gene expression were detected between light on and light off in the rabbit ciliary epithelium.

CONCLUSION

Differential display is a powerful tool to screen differentially expressed genes in circadian rhythm of ciliary epithelium.

[Phacoemulsification in patients with cataract and overfiltering bleb after antiglaucoma surgery]

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of phacoemulsification in patients with cataract, overfiltering bleb, and low-tension after antiglaucoma surgery.

METHODS

Phacoemulsification and implantation of a foldable intraocular len was performed in six patients(7 eyes) with overfiltering bleb, low-tension, and cataract. The complications, blebs, intraocular pressures(IOP), and visual acuity were observed postoperatively.

RESULTS

No severe complication was found. The overfiltering blebs constricted and their walls became thicker three months after the operation. The visual acuity and IOP were improved (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Phacoemulsification may be another way to treat the patients with cataract and overfiltering bleb, low-tension after antiglaucoma surgery.

The attentional effects of peripheral cueing as revealed by two event-related potential studies

OBJECTIVE

The mechanism of visual spatial attention elicited by peripheral cueing was investigated in two studies.

METHOD

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded when the subjects were performing a spatial frequency discrimination task and a location discrimination task. Stimuli were randomly flashed in the left or right visual field. Prior to each stimulus a peripheral cue was presented with a validity of 75%.

RESULTS

The subjects responded faster to valid trials than to invalid trials. The earliest visual ERP component, C1, was not modulated by the cue validity, suggesting that visual spatial attention elicited by peripheral cueing does not involve striate cortex. Valid trials elicited larger contralateral P1 but a smaller contralateral N1 than invalid trials. The early onsets of these attentional effects show that spatial attention affects stimulus processing at early sensory/perceptual stages. The latencies of contralateral P1 and contralateral N1 were shorter for invalid trials, however. The ipsilateral N1 was enhanced by valid trials in the spatial frequency discrimination task but was not in the location discrimination task, whereas the contralateral N1 was larger for invalid trials than for valid trials in both tasks.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that involuntary allocation of attention involves different mechanisms from voluntary allocation of attention.

[The cultivation, freezing-state preservation and resuscitation of human iris pigment epithelial cells in vitro]

PURPOSE

To establish the culture of human iris pigment epithelial cells in vitro and study the freezing-state preservation and resusciation.

METHODS

The iris pigment epithelial specimens from human eyes were cultured in vitro. Based on the cell-frozen principle, the cultured cells were collected, then frozen in liquid nitrogen and resuscitation.

RESULTS

Cultured iris pigment epithelial cells were obtained. Under the inverted light microscope, primary cells appeared multigonal and arranged in monolayer, there were abundant pigment granules in the cytoplasm and the nuclei each of which contained 1 or 2 nuceoli wre relatively transparent. Under the transmission electron microscope, there were plenty of microvilli at the cell membrane and desmosomes present in the intercellular space. 6 groups of cells were frozen. The resuscitation exeriment was carried out for 4 times, every times being successful. All of the resuscitated rates were more than 90%.

CONCLUSION

The human iris pigment epithelial cells were cultured in vitro successfully, they can also be frozen and resuscitated, which will be useful in studies of pathogenesis for some eye disease.

[To screen, clone and sequence TIGR gene mutation in Chinese patients with primary open- angle glaucoma]

OBJECTIVE

To study trabecular meshwork induced glucocorticoid response protein (TIGR) gene mutation in Chinese patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

METHODS

(1) From 70 patients with POAG and 20 normal controls, TIGR gene which consists of three exons (7 pairs of primer) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The mutation of PCR amplification products was evaluated by single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP). (2) After the above PCR products were cloned into the PT-Adv vectors, the construction plasmids were evaluated by Ecor I endonuclease and direct sequence was performed.

RESULTS

(1) With SSCP screening, the single strand band abnormality was found in the middle fragments of the third exon (the sixth pair of primer) of TIGR gene in two patients with POAG, but the control group appeared normal. (2) The two samples using clone and sequence showed that one had a 'GAT'- to- 'AAT' transition at amino acid Asp 338 Asn mutation; the base sequence of another one had no change. These results suggested that mutation rate of TIGR gene in Chinese patients with POAG be only 1.4% (1/70), being lower than that of foreigners.

CONCLUSION

The pathogenesis of Chinese patients with POAG may be related with TIGR gene mutation, but the mutation rate is lower than that in foreigners, indicating that the mechanism of POAG in China and aboard is different and the pathogenesis of POAG has difference in regions and races.

Reporter LacZ gene transfer into cultured ocular cells of human eyes in vitro

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether a reporter LacZ gene could be transferred into cultured ocular cells of human eyes in vitro.

METHODS

Fibroblast cells of Tenon's capsule, trabecular meshwork cells, and muscle cells in the ciliary body of human eyes were cultured and the pcDNA3-LacZ gene was transferred into these cells using a cationic liposome delivery system. The cells were subsequently fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde, mixed with X-gal, then observed under a microscope.

RESULTS

Blue stain was seen in the cytoplasm of the cultured cells under the microscope, demonstrating the successful transfer of the LacZ gene into these cells.

CONCLUSION

Reporter LacZ gene was easily transferred into the cultured ocular cells in vitro. This provides insights into the transfer of the genes into these cells to study the pathogenesis and therapy of glaucoma.

[Comparative study of three common G6PD gene mutations in Yao and Han People in Guangxi]

OBJECTIVE

To study G6PD gene mutation diversity in Yao and Han people in Guangxi and compare the genotypic frequencies.

METHODS

The three common G6PD gene mutations in Chinese were investigated in 34 G6PD deficient individuals from Yao and 37 from Han people by using an amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS).

RESULTS

Among 34 cases of G6PD deficiency of Yao people, the genotypic frequencies of G1376T, G1388A and A95G were 41.2%, 26.5% and 14.7%, respectively. A case of C1311T was detected. As compared with that in Han people, the respective frequencies were 16.2%, 40.6% and 5.4%.

CONCLUSION

The main G6PD mutations in Yao people were the same with Han people in Guangxi, but G1376T mutation was higher than that in Han people. The C1311T mutation in Yao people in Guangxi was reported for the first time.