Adduct of mononuclear and dinuclear citrate zinc complex [Zn(Hcit)(phen)(H2O)][Zn2(Hcit)(phen)2(H2O)3]·13.5H2O (1) and its aggregate [Zn3(Hcit)2(phen)4]n·14nH2O (2) (H4cit = citric acid, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) were synthesized in weak acidic solutions. The former was obtained from the reaction of zinc nitrate, citric acid and phenanthroline in a molar ratio of 3 : 2 : 3, while a slightly excess of phenanthroline results in the formation of the polymeric product 2 in a molar ratio of 3 : 2 : 4. Transformation of 1 to 2 was finished by the reaction of 1 with an equimolar of phenanthroline in 72% yield. Reverse conversion of 2 to 1 is obtained in 77% yield, showing an equilibrium between 1 and 2. Neutral compound 1 consists of one monomeric anionic unit [Zn(Hcit)(phen)(H2O)]− and one dimeric cationic unit [Zn2(Hcit)(phen)2(H2O)3]+ that connect each other by strong hydrogen bonds [O6⋯O4w 2.636(2); O7⋯O3w 2.630(3) Å]. In 2, the citrate ligand links each trinuclear unit [Zn3(Hcit)2(phen)4] to generate an infinite 1D chain that extents into a 3D supramolecular structure by intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonds. Moreover, 1 and 2 exhibit strong fluorescence at room temperature.

To pinpoint the exact location of the etiological variant/s present at 1q21.1 harboring FCRL1-5 and CD5L genes, we carried out a refined association study in the entire FCRL region in 1,536 patients with Graves’ disease (GD) and 1,516 sex-matched controls by imputation analysis, logistic regression, and cis-eQTL analysis. Among 516 SNPs with P<0.05 in the initial GWAS scan, the strongest signals associated with GD and correlated to FCRL3 expression were located at a cluster of SNPs including rs7528684 and rs3761959. And the allele-specific effects for rs3761959 and rs7528684 on FCRL3 expression level revealed that the risk alleles A of rs3761959 and C of rs7528684 were correlated with the elevated expression level of FCRL3 whether in PBMCs or its subsets, especially in CD19+ B cells and CD8+ T subsets. Next, the combined analysis with 5,300 GD cases and 4,916 control individuals confirmed FCRL3 was a susceptibility gene of GD in Chinese Han populations, and rs3761959 and rs7528684 met the genome-wide association significance level (Pcombined = 2.27×10−12 and 7.11×10−13, respectively). Moreover, the haplotypes with the risk allele A of rs3761959 and risk allele C of rs7528684 were associated with GD risk. Finally, our epigenetic analysis suggested the disease-associated C allele of rs7528684 increased affinity for NF-KB transcription factor. Above data indicated that FCRL3 gene and its proxy SNP rs7528684 may be involved in the pathogenesis of GD by excessive inhibiting B cell receptor signaling and the impairment of suppressing function of Tregs.

The real sample temperatures during the nuclear resonant vibrational spectroscopy on biological samples have been assessed and significantly reduced (116 → 52 K) by improving the sample-loading procedures.

There are several practical and intertangled issues which make the experiments of nuclear resonant vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) on biological samples difficult to perform. The sample temperature is one of the most important issues. In NRVS the real sample temperatures can be very different from the readings on the temperature sensors. In this study the following have been performed: (i) citing and analyzing various existing NRVS data to assess the real sample temperatures during the NRVS measurements and to understand their trends with the samples’ loading conditions; (ii) designing several NRVS measurements with (Et4N)[FeCl4] to verify these trends; and (iii) proposing a new sample-loading procedure to achieve significantly lower real sample temperatures and to balance among the intertangled experimental issues in biological NRVS measurements.

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare linked database was used to describe the extent of nonadherence to anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens in older patients with early breast cancer and to explore factors associated with nonadherence.

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Describe rates of adherence to anthracycline-based chemotherapy in elderly patients with early breast cancer, using a population-based database.Identify a subset of early breast cancer patients with a higher likelihood of non-adherence to the course of chemotherapy treatment.

This article is available for continuing medical education credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

Background.

Rates of anthracycline adherence in breast cancer (BC) patients are unknown, but noncompletion of chemotherapy is associated with worse outcomes.

Methods.

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare database, we obtained demographics, comorbidities, tumor characteristics, and treatment and hospitalization data from stage I–III BC patients diagnosed at age ≥66 years in 1996–2005 treated with surgery who had anthracycline claims. We compared variables between patients with claims for less than four cycles, considered nonadherent cases, and those with claims for four or more cycles using logistic regression analyses.

Results.

The sample included 7,399 patients, of whom 1,222 (16.5%) were nonadherent cases. Two hundred forty-three (3.3%) patients had one claim, 298 (4.0%) had two claims, and 681 (9.2%) had three claims. The multivariate regression model showed statistically significant associations between nonadherence and older age, black race, unmarried status, diagnosis before the year 2001, and hospitalizations.

Conclusions.

Eighty-three percent of older patients with early-stage BC completed at least four cycles of an anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimen. We identified a subset of patients with a higher likelihood of not adhering to the course of treatment. Further research is warranted to develop interventions to enhance adherence.

Background

Serum phosphorus control is critical for chronic kidney disease (CKD) 5D patients. Currently, clinical profile for an oral phosphorus binder in the mainland Chinese population is not available.

Objective

To establish the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of lanthanum carbonate in CKD 5D patients.

Design

Multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. A central randomization center used computer generated tables to allocate treatments.

Setting

Twelve tertiary teaching hospitals and medical university affiliated hospitals in mainland China.

Participants

Overall, 258 hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) adult patients were enrolled.

Intervention

After a 0–3-week washout period and a 4-week lanthanum carbonate dose-titration period, 230 patients were randomized 1:1 to receive lanthanum carbonate (1500 mg-3000 mg) or placebo for a further 4-week maintenance phase.

Main outcome measures

Efficacy and safety of lanthanum carbonate to achieve and maintain target serum phosphorus concentrations were assessed.

Results

In the titration phase, serum phosphorus concentrations of all patients decreased significantly. About three-fifths achieved target levels without significantly disturbing serum calcium levels. At the end of the maintenance period, the mean difference in serum phosphorus was significantly different between the lanthanum carbonate and placebo-treated groups (0.63±0.62 mmol/L vs. 0.15±0.52 mmol/L, P < 0.001). The drug-related adverse effects were mild and mostly gastrointestinal in nature.

Conclusion

Lanthanum carbonate is an efficacious and well-tolerated oral phosphate binder with a mild AE profile in hemodialysis and CAPD patients. This agent may provide an alternative for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in CKD 5D patients in mainland China.

Trial registration

No. ChiCTR-TRC-10000817

Chikungunya virus belongs to the genus Alphavirus in the family Togaviridae. Here we report the complete genome sequence of a chikungunya virus strain, GD05/2010, isolated in 2010 from a patient with chikungunya fever in Guangdong, China. The sequence information is important for surveillance of this emerging arboviral infection in China.

Identification of human monkeypox cases during 2005 in southern Sudan (now South Sudan) raised several questions about the natural history of monkeypox virus (MPXV) in Africa. The outbreak area, characterized by seasonally dry riverine grasslands, is not identified as environmentally suitable for MPXV transmission. We examined possible origins of this outbreak by performing phylogenetic analysis of genome sequences of MPXV isolates from the outbreak in Sudan and from differing localities. We also compared the environmental suitability of study localities for monkeypox transmission. Phylogenetically, the viruses isolated from Sudan outbreak specimens belong to a clade identified in the Congo Basin. This finding, added to the political instability of the area during the time of the outbreak, supports the hypothesis of importation by infected animals or humans entering Sudan from the Congo Basin, and person-to-person transmission of virus, rather than transmission of indigenous virus from infected animals to humans.

T cell Ig and mucin domain (Tim)-3 is well known to interact with its natural ligand, Galectin-9 (Gal-9), to regulate T cell function. However, little is known about the function of Tim-3/Gal-9 signaling in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mediated by hepatic NKT cells that also express Tim-3. In the current study, we define the role and the mechanism of Tim-3/Gal-9 signaling in hepatic NKT cell regulation in a mouse model of diet-induced NAFLD. Adult male wild-type or CD1d knockout C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet to induce steatosis. Some of the mice also received one or a combination of Gal-9, anti–IL-15R/IL-15 mAb, rIL-15, α-galactosylceramide, and multilamellar liposomes containing Cl2MDP. The expression of Tim-3 and various markers reflecting cell proliferation, activation, cytokine production, and apoptosis was analyzed. Liver histology, steatosis grade, and hepatic triglyceride content were also evaluated. In the liver, Tim-3+ NKT cells are in an activated state, and Gal-9 directly induces Tim-3+ NKT cell apoptosis and contributes to the depletion of NKT cells in diet-induced steatosis. However, Gal-9 also interacts with Tim-3–expressing Kupffer cells to induce secretion of IL-15, thus promoting NKT cell proliferation. Exogenous administration of Gal-9 significantly ameliorates diet-induced steatosis by modulating hepatic NKT cell function. In summary, the Tim-3/Gal-9–signaling pathway plays a critical role in the homeostasis of hepatic NKT cells through activation-induced apoptosis and secondary proliferation and, thus, contributes to the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

DNA damage response upon UV radiation involves a complex network of cellular events required for maintaining the homeostasis and restoring genomic stability of the cells. As a new class of players involved in DNA damage response, the regulation and function of microRNAs in response to UV remain poorly understood. Here we show that UV radiation induces a significant increase of miR-22 expression, which appears to be dependent on the activation of DNA damage responding kinase ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated). Increased miR-22 expression may result from enhanced miR-22 maturation in cells exposed to UV. We further found that tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression was inversely correlated with miR-22 induction and UV-induced PTEN repression was attenuated by overexpression of a miR-22 inhibitor. Moreover, increased miR-22 expression significantly inhibited the activation of caspase signaling cascade, leading to enhanced cell survival upon UV radiation. Collectively, these results indicate that miR-22 is an important player in the cellular stress response upon UV radiation, which may promote cell survival via the repression of PTEN expression.

Background

More than 70% of patients with depression who see their doctors experience insomnia. Insomnia treatment is a very important link for depression treatment. Furthermore, antidepression treatment is also important for depression insomnia. In acupuncture, LU-7 (Lie Que) and KID-6 (Zhao Hai), which are two of the eight confluence points in meridian theory, are used as main points. An embedded needle technique is used, alternately, at two groups of points to consolidate the treatment effect. These two groups of points are BL-15 (Xin Shu) with BL-23 (Shen Shu) and BL-19 (Dan Shu) with N-HN-54 (An Mian). The effectiveness of these optimized acupuncture formulas is well proven in the practice by our senior acupuncturists in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of TCM. This study has been designed to examine whether this set of optimized clinical formulas is able to increase the clinical efficacy of depression insomnia treatment.

Methods/design

In this randomized controlled multicenter trial, all the eligible participants are diagnosed with depression insomnia. All participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups in a ratio of 1:1 and receive either conventional acupuncture treatment or optimized acupuncture treatment. Patients are evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)and the Hamilton rating scale(HAMD) for depression. The use of antidepression and hypnotics drugs is also considered. Results are obtained at the start of treatment, 1 and 2 months after treatment has begun, and at the end of treatment. The entire duration of the study will be approximately 36 months.

Discussion

A high quality of trial methodologies is utilized in the study, and the results may provide better evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for depression insomnia. The optimized acupuncture formula has potential benefits in increasing the efficacy of treating depression insomnia.

Trial registration

The trial was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCR-TRC-00000481) on 12 August 2009.

Background

Administration of androgens decreases plasma concentrations of high-density lipid cholesterol (HDL-C). However, the mechanisms by which androgens mediate lipid metabolism remain unknown. This present study used HepG2 cell cultures and ovariectomized C57BL/6 J mice to determine whether apolipoprotein M (ApoM), a constituent of HDL, was affected by dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Methods

HepG2 cells were cultured in the presence of either DHT, agonist of protein kinase C (PKC), phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), blocker of androgen receptor flutamide together with different concentrations of DHT, or DHT together with staurosporine at different concentrations for 24 hrs. Ovariectomized C57BL/6 J mice were treated with DHT or vehicle for 7d or 14d and the levels of plasma ApoM and livers ApoM mRNA were measured. The mRNA levels of ApoM, ApoAI were determined by real-time RT-PCR. ApoM and ApoAI were determined by western blotting analysis.

Results

Addition of DHT to cell culture medium selectively down-regulated ApoM mRNA expression and ApoM secretion in a dose-dependent manner. At 10 nM DHT, the ApoM mRNA levels were about 20% lower than in untreated cells and about 40% lower at 1000 nM DHT than in the control cells. The secretion of ApoM into the medium was reduced to a similar extent. The inhibitory effect of DHT on ApoM secretion was not blocked by the classical androgen receptor blocker flutamide but by an antagonist of PKC, Staurosporine. Agonist of PKC, PMA, also reduced ApoM. At 0.5 μM PMA, the ApoM mRNA levels and the secretion of ApoM into the medium were about 30% lower than in the control cells. The mRNA expression levels and secretion of another HDL-associated apolipoprotein AI (ApoAI) were not affected by DHT. The levels of plasma ApoM and liver ApoM mRNA of DHT-treated C57BL/6 J mice were lower than those of vehicle-treated mice.

Conclusions

DHT directly and selectively down-regulated the level of ApoM mRNA and the secretion of ApoM by protein kinase C but independently of the classical androgen receptor.

Here we report the first complete genome sequence of a dengue virus serotype 4 genotype II strain, GZ30, isolated in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, in 2010. The sequence information provided herein will help us to understand the molecular epidemiology of dengue virus and predict the risk of severe diseases in mainland China.

Objectives

We aimed to explore the impacts of individual and environmental socioeconomic status (SES) on the outcome of peritoneal dialysis (PD) in regions with significant SES disparity, through a retrospective multicenter cohort in China.

Methods

Overall, 2,171 incident patients from seven PD centers were included. Individual SES was evaluated from yearly household income per person and education level. Environmental SES was represented by regional gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and medical resources. Undeveloped regions were defined as those with regional GDP lower than the median. All-cause and cardiovascular death and initial peritonitis were recorded as outcome events.

Results

Poorer PD patients or those who lived in undeveloped areas were younger and less-educated and bore a heavier burden of medical expenses. They had lower hemoglobin and serum albumin at baseline. Low income independently predicted the highest risks for all-cause or cardiovascular death and initial peritonitis compared with medium and high income. The interaction effect between individual education and regional GDP was determined. In undeveloped regions, patients with an elementary school education or lower were at significantly higher risk for all-cause death but not cardiovascular death or initial peritonitis compared with those who attended high school or had a higher diploma. Regional GDP was not associated with any outcome events.

Conclusion

Low personal income independently influenced all-cause and cardiovascular death, and initial peritonitis in PD patients. Education level predicted all-cause death only for patients in undeveloped regions. For PD patients in these high risk situations, integrated care before dialysis and well-constructed PD training programs might be helpful.

Background

The histopathological and molecular heterogeneity of normal tissue adjacent to cancerous tissue (NTAC) and normal tissue adjacent to benign tissue (NTAB), and the availability of limited specimens make deciphering the mechanisms of carcinogenesis challenging. Our goal was to identify histogenetic biomarkers that could be reliably used to define a transforming fingerprint using RNA in situ hybridization.

Methods

We evaluated 15 tumor-related RNA in situ hybridization biomarkers using tumor microarray and samples of seven tumor-adjacent normal tissues from 314 patients. Biomarkers were determined using comprehensive statistical methods (significance of support vector machine-based artificial intelligence and area under curve scoring of classification distribution).

Results

TP53 was found to be a most reliable index (P <10-7; area under curve >87%) for distinguishing NTAC from NTAB, according to the results of a significance panel (BCL10, BECN1, BRCA2, FITH, PTCH11 and TP53).

Conclusions

The genetic alterations in TP53 between NTAC and NTAB may provide new insight into the field of cancerization and tumor transformation.

Using an artificial-number learning paradigm and the ERP technique, the present study investigated neural mechanisms involved in the learning of magnitude and spatial order. 54 college students were divided into 2 groups matched in age, gender, and school major. One group was asked to learn the associations between magnitude (dot patterns) and the meaningless Gibson symbols, and the other group learned the associations between spatial order (horizontal positions on the screen) and the same set of symbols. Results revealed differentiated neural mechanisms underlying the learning processes of symbolic magnitude and spatial order. Compared to magnitude learning, spatial-order learning showed a later and reversed distance effect. Furthermore, an analysis of the order-priming effect showed that order was not inherent to the learning of magnitude. Results of this study showed a dissociation between magnitude and order, which supports the numerosity code hypothesis of mental representations of magnitude.

Aplastic anemia (AA) is generally considered as an immune-mediated bone marrow failure syndrome with defective hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and marrow microenvironment. Previous studies have demonstrated the defective HSCs and aberrant T cellular-immunity in AA using a microarray approach. However, little is known about the overall specialty of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). In the present study, we comprehensively compared the biological features and gene expression profile of BM-MSCs between AA patients and healthy volunteers. In comparison with healthy controls, BM-MSCs from AA patients showed aberrant morphology, decreased proliferation and clonogenic potential and increased apoptosis. BM-MSCs from AA patients were susceptible to be induced to differentiate into adipocytes but more difficult to differentiate into osteoblasts. Consistent with abnormal biological features, a large number of genes implicated in cell cycle, cell division, proliferation, chemotaxis and hematopoietic cell lineage showed markedly decreased expression in BM-MSCs from AA patients. Conversely, more related genes with apoptosis, adipogenesis and immune response showed increased expression in BM-MSCs from AA patients. The gene expression profile of BM-MSCs further confirmed the abnormal biological properties and provided significant evidence for the possible mechanism of the destruction of the bone marrow microenvironment in AA.

To determine if human bocavirus 2 (HBoV2) has a circular genome similar to the head-to-tail sequence of HBoV1 and the episomal form of HBoV3, 15 HBoV2 positive samples identified from 553 stool specimens from children with acute diarrhea were tested for a head-to-tail sequence using TaqMan-based real-time PCR. A circular genome with a head-to-tail sequence was identified in one (BJQ435) out of 15 samples tested by nested PCR. The complete circular genome of HBoV2-C1 (BJQ435) was 5307 nt in length and was flanked with a 520 nt-long terminal non-coding region (NCR). The secondary structure of HBoV2 -C1 had some differences compared to HBoV3-E1 (JN086998). Our study indicates that the HBoV genome exists in the form of a head-to-tail monomer and provides more information for understanding the HBoV replication mechanism.

The placental vasculature is critical for nutrient, gas, and waste exchange between the maternal and fetal systems. Its development depends on the proper expression and interaction of angiogenesis and associated growth factors. Heme oxygenase (HMOX), the enzyme for heme degradation, plays a role in angiogenesis and is highly expressed in the placenta. To evaluate the role of maternal HMOX1, the inducible HMOX isozyme, on placental vasculature formation, mice with a partial deficiency in Hmox1 (Hmox1+/−) were used. Three-dimensional images of placental vasculatures as well as spiral arteries from Hmox1+/+ or Hmox1+/− placentas were created by vascular corrosion casting technique and imaged by micro-computerized tomography (microCT). The structures and morphologies of fetomaternal interfaces were observed by histological staining and the ultrastructure of uterine natural killer (uNK) cells, a major regulator in spiral artery remodeling, was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. A group of growth factors and angiogenic factors from the decidua/mesometrial lymphoid aggregate of pregnancy (MLAp) as well as labyrinth regions were quantified using an angiogenesis PCR array kit and compared between Hmox1+/+ or Hmox1+/− placentas. In conclusion, a partial deficiency of maternal Hmox1 resulted in the malformation of fetomaternal interface, insufficiency of spiral artery remodeling, and alteration of uNK cell differentiation and maturation. These changes were independent of the fetal genotype, but relied on the maternal HMOX1 level, which determined the balance of expression levels of pro- and antiangiogenic factors in the decidua/MLAp region. These results implied that Hmox1 polymorphisms among the human population might contribute to some unexplained cases of pregnancy disorders, such as fetal growth retardation and preeclampsia.

Maternal HMOX1 is essential for the formation of the fetomaternal interface, remodeling of the uterine spiral arteries, and differentiation and maturation of uNK cells; its effects are primarily mediated through the regulation of a group of pro- and anti-angiogenesis factors in the decidua/MLAp region.

Infants with hemolytic diseases frequently develop hyperbilirubinemia, but standard phototherapy only eliminates bilirubin after its production. A better strategy might be to directly inhibit heme oxygenase (HO), the rate-limiting enzyme in bilirubin production. Metalloporphyrins (Mps) are heme analogs that competitively inhibit HO activity in vitro and in vivo and suppress plasma bilirubin levels in vivo. A promising Mp, zinc deuteroporphyrin bis glycol (ZnBG), is orally absorbed and effectively inhibits HO activity at relatively low doses. We determined the I50 (the dose needed to inhibit HO activity by 50%) of orally administered ZnBG in vivo and then evaluated ZnBG’s effects on in vivo bilirubin production, HO activity, HO protein levels, and HO-1 gene expression in newborn mice following heme-loading, a model analogous to a hemolytic infant. The I50 of ZnBG was found to be 4.0 μmol/kg body weight (BW). At a dose of 15-μmol/kg BW, ZnBG reduced in vivo bilirubin production, inhibited heme-induced liver HO activity and spleen HO activity to and below baseline, respectively, transiently induced liver and spleen HO-1 gene transcription, and induced liver and spleen HO-1 protein levels. We conclude that ZnBG may be an attractive compound for treating severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia caused by hemolytic disease.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), representing a large proportion of non-coding transcripts across the human genome, are evolutionally conserved and biologically functional. At least one-third of the phenotype-related loci identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are mapped to non-coding intervals. However, the relationships between phenotype-related loci and lncRNAs are largely unknown. Utilizing the 1000 Genomes data, we compared single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the sequences of lncRNA and protein-coding genes as defined in the Ensembl database. We further annotated the phenotype-related SNPs reported by GWAS at lncRNA intervals. Because prostate cancer (PCa) risk-related loci were enriched in lncRNAs, we then performed meta-analysis of two existing GWAS for discovery and an additional sample set for replication, revealing PCa risk-related loci at lncRNA regions. The SNP density in regions of lncRNA was similar to that in protein-coding regions, but they were less polymorphic than surrounding regions. Among the 1998 phenotype-related SNPs identified by GWAS, 52 loci were located directly in lncRNA intervals with a 1.5-fold enrichment compared with the entire genome. More than a 5-fold enrichment was observed for eight PCa risk-related loci in lncRNA genes. We also identified a new PCa risk-related SNP rs3787016 in an lncRNA region at 19q13 (per allele odds ratio = 1.19; 95% confidence interval: 1.11–1.27) with P value of 7.22 × 10−7. lncRNAs may be important for interpreting and mining GWAS data. However, the catalog of lncRNAs needs to be better characterized in order to fully evaluate the relationship of phenotype-related loci with lncRNAs.

Purpose.

We noted an unexpected inheritance pattern of lesions in several strains of gene-manipulated mice with ocular phenotypes. The lesions, which appeared at various stages of backcross to C57BL/6, bore resemblance to the rd8 retinal degeneration phenotype. We set out to examine the prevalence of this mutation in induced mutant mouse lines, vendor C57BL/6 mice and in widely used embryonic stem cells.

Methods.

Ocular lesions were evaluated by fundus examination and histopathology. Detection of the rd8 mutation at the genetic level was performed by PCR with appropriate primers. Data were confirmed by DNA sequencing in selected cases.

Results.

Analysis of several induced mutant mouse lines with ocular disease phenotypes revealed that the disease was associated 100% with the presence of the rd8 mutation in the Crb1 gene rather than with the gene of interest. DNA analysis of C57BL/6 mice from common commercial vendors demonstrated the presence of the rd8 mutation in homozygous form in all C57BL/6N substrains, but not in the C57BL/6J substrain. A series of commercially available embryonic stem cells of C57BL/6N origin and C57BL/6N mouse lines used to generate ES cells also contained the rd8 mutation. Affected mice displayed ocular lesions typical of rd8, which were detectable by funduscopy and histopathology as early as 6 weeks of age.

Conclusions.

These findings identify the presence of the rd8 mutation in the C57BL/6N mouse substrain used widely to produce transgenic and knockout mice. The results have grave implications for the vision research community who develop mouse lines to study eye disease, as presence of rd8 can produce significant disease phenotypes unrelated to the gene or genes of interest. It is suggested that researchers screen for rd8 if their mouse lines were generated on the C57BL/6N background, bear resemblance to the rd8 phenotype, or are of indeterminate origin.

The rd8 mutation of the Crb1 gene, which can cause significant retinal degeneration, was found in homozygous form in the C57BL/6N mouse substrain. It is present in stocks from most major mouse vendors and in ES cells derived from the C57BL/6N substrain. Its presence can confound interpretation of ocular mutant phenotypes.

Objective

To explore the usefulness of 320-slice CT angiography (CTA) for evaluating the course of the anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) and its relationship with adjacent structures by using three-dimensional (3D) spin digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as standard reference.

Materials and Methods

From December 2008 to December 2010, 32 patients with cerebrovascular disease, who underwent both cranial 3D spin DSA and 320-slice CTA within a 30 day period from each other, were retrospectively reviewed. AEA course in ethmoid was analyzed in DSA and CTA. In addition, adjacent bony landmarks (bony notch in medial orbital wall, anterior ethmoidal canal, and anterior ethmoidal sulcus) were evaluated with CTA using the MPR technique oriented along the axial, coronal and oblique coronal planes in all patients. The dose length product (DLP) for CTA and the dose-area product (DAP) for 3D spin DSA were recorded. Effective dose (ED) was calculated.

Results

The entire course of the AEA was seen in all 32 cases (100%) with 3D spine DSA and in 29 of 32 cases (90.1%) with 320-slice CTA, with no significant difference (p = 0.24). In three cases where AEA was not visualized on 320-slice CTA, two were due to the dominant posterior ethmoidal artery, while the remaining case was due to diminutive AEA. On MPR images of 320-slice CT, a bony notch in the orbital medial walls was detected in all cases (100%, 64 of 64); anterior ethmoidal canal was seen in 28 of 64 cases (43.8%), and the anterior ethmoidal sulcus was seen in 63 of 64 cases (98.4%). The mean effective dose in CTA was 0.6 ± 0.25 mSv, which was significantly lower than for 3D spin DSA (1.3 ± 0.01 mSv) (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

320-slice CTA has a similar detection rate for AEA to that of 3D spin DSA; however, it is noninvasive, and may be preferentially used for the evaluation of AEA and its adjacent bony variations and pathologic changes in preoperative patients with paranasal sinus diseases.

Fragile X syndrome is a common inherited form of mental retardation caused by the lack of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) because of Fmr1 gene silencing. Serotonin (5-HT) is significantly increased in the null mutants of Drosophila Fmr1, and elevated 5-HT brain levels result in cognitive and behavioral deficits in human patients. The serotonin type 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) is highly expressed in the cerebral cortex; it acts on pyramidal cells and GABAergic interneurons to modulate cortical functions. 5-HT2AR and FMRP both regulate synaptic plasticity. Therefore, the lack of FMRP may affect serotoninergic activity. In this study, we determined the involvement of FMRP in the 5-HT modulation of synaptic potentiation with the use of primary cortical neuron culture and brain slice recording. Pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT2AR by R-96544 or ketanserin facilitated long-term potentiation (LTP) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of WT mice. The prefrontal LTP induction was dependent on the activation of NMDARs and elevation of postsynaptic Ca2+ concentrations. By contrast, inhibition of 5-HT2AR could not restore the induction of LTP in the ACC of Fmr1 knock-out mice. Furthermore, 5-HT2AR inhibition induced AMPA receptor GluR1 subtype surface insertion in the cultured ACC neurons of Fmr1 WT mice, however, GluR1 surface insertion by inhibition of 5-HT2AR was impaired in the neurons of Fmr1KO mice. These findings suggested that FMRP was involved in serotonin receptor signaling and contributed in GluR1 surface expression induced by 5-HT2AR inactivation.

AIM

To investigate the interfering effect of Y-27632, a ROCK-I selective inhibitor, on the signal transduction pathway of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in ocular Tenon capsule fibroblasts (OTFS) in vitro.

METHODS

After OTFS from passages 4 to 6 in vitro were induced by TGF-β1 and then treated by Y-27632, the changes of the OTFS cell cycles were analyzed via flow cytometry, and the proteins expression of the α-smooth muscular actin (α-SMA), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), collagen I were calculated by Western blot. After OTFS treated by the different concentrations of Y-27632, the expression levels of the α-SMA, CTGF and collagen I mRNA were assayed by RT-PCR.

RESULTS

Y-27632 had no markedly effect on the OTFS cell cycles. After treated by TGF-β1, OTFS in G1 period significantly increased. The cell cycles distribution by both TGF-β1 and Y-27632 had no remarkable difference from that in control group. Y-27632 significantly inhibited the proteins expressions of both α-SMA and CTGF, while to some extent inhibited that of collagen I. TGF-β1 significantly promoted the proteins expressions of α-SMA, CTGF and collagen I. After OTFS treated by both TGF-β1 and Y-27632, of α-SMA, the protein expression was similar with that in control group (P=0.066>0.05), but the protein expression of CTGF or collagen I, respectively, was significantly different from that in control group (P=0.000<0.01). The differences of expressions of the α-SMA, CTGF and collagen I mRNA in 30, 150, 750µmol/L Y-27632 group were statistically significant, compared with those in control group, respectively (α-SMA, P=0.002, 0.000, 0.000; CTGF, P=0.014, 0.002, 0.001; collagen I, P=0.003, 0.002, 0.000).

CONCLUSION

Blocking the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway by using of Y-27632 could inhibit the cellular proliferation and the expression of both CTGF and α-SMA whatever OTFS induced by TGF-β1 or not. Y-27632 suppressed the expression of collagen I mRNA without induction.