1.Immunogenicity analysis of a recombinant protein CPSIT_p7 and its expression in HeLa cells during persistent Chlamydophila psittaci infection
Qingzhi HE ; Huaicai ZENG ; Zhiqing LI ; Chuan WANG ; Yanqun HU ; Zhixi CHEN ; Yimou WU
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology 2014;(8):604-608
Objective To construct a prokaryotic expression plasmid for CPSIT_p7 gene from Chlamydophila psittaci ( Cps) 6BC strain and to evaluate immunogenicity of the recombinant protein His-CPSIT_p7 and detect its dynamic expression at mRNA and protein levels in HeLa cells during persistent Cps infection.Methods The fusion protein His-CPSIT_p7 was expressed in E.coli BL21 and purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography .BALB/c mice were immunized with the recombinant protein to prepare polyclonal antibody for evaluation of the immunogenicity of His-CPSIT_p7 by ELISA.Penicillin sodium was used to establish a model of Cps persistence infection .RT-PCR and Western blot assay were performed to de-tect the expression of CPSIT_p7 at mRNA and protein levels during Cps persistent infection .Results The fusion protein His-CPSIT_p7 was successfully expressed with the use of constructed recombinant expression plasmid pET30 a-CPSIT_p7 and purified .ELISA result showed that the specific antibody titer against CPSIT_p7 reached 1 ∶1 000 000 on the 40th days after immunization .The expression of CPSIT_p7 at mRNA and protein levels were increased in a time-dependent manner in Cps-infected HeLa cells .The peak of mRNA level was reached at the time point of 36 hours after infection , followed by a time-dependent decrease during Cps acute infection .However , the expression of CPSIT_p7 at mRNA and protein levels were not decreased until 60 hours after infection during Cps persistent infection .Conclusion His-CPSIT_p7 protein was suc-cessfully expressed in the prokaryotic expression system and purified , showing an advantage of good immuno-genicity.Highly expressed CPSIT_p7 at mRNA and protein levels were detected during Cps persistent infection.
2.Effect of air pollution, genetic susceptibility on the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes among atrial fibrillation patients
Junguo ZHANG ; Ge CHEN ; Dashan ZHENG ; Jianheng CHEN ; Chaoling ZHANG ; Shengtao WEI ; Huaicai ZENG ; Hualiang LIN
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2024;45(10):1362-1370
Objective:To analyze the association between air pollution, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods:AF patients aged between 40-69 years old registered in the United Kingdom Biobank from 2006 to 2010 were included. After excluding those lost to follow-up or with incomplete data during follow-up, 5 814 subjects were analyzed. Long-term exposure to air pollution was estimated at the geocoded residential address of each participant. Genetic risk scores for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke were constructed separately for each object to assess the corresponding genetic susceptibility. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the association between air pollution, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in AF patients.Results:During a median follow-up of 12.4 years, there were 929 of all-cause mortality (15.98%) and 1 772 of cardiovascular events (30.48%). Multivariable-adjusted analyses revealed that higher exposure to PM 2.5, PM 10, NO x, and NO 2 was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke, with hazard ratios ( HRs) ranging from 1.26 to 1.48. Specifically, for each interquartile range ( IQR) increase in PM 2.5 exposure, the HRs for the outcomes mentioned above were 1.33 (95% CI: 1.14-1.54), 1.42 (95% CI: 1.31-1.54), 1.46 (95% CI: 1.30-1.64), and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.27-1.61), respectively. Both NO x and NO 2 exposures were associated with a 9% increased risk of all-cause mortality per IQR increment, with corresponding HRs of 1.09 (95% CI: 1.02-1.17) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.01-1.17), respectively. Individuals with high genetic susceptibility to AF had a higher risk of myocardial infarction and stroke compared to those with low genetic susceptibility, with corresponding HRs of 1.39 (95% CI: 1.04-1.87) and 1.46 (95% CI: 1.09-1.95), respectively. Compared to AF patients with low air pollution exposure, those with high air pollution exposure have adjusted population attributable fractions of up to 33.57% (95% CI: 17.87%-46.26%) for cardiovascular mortality, 28.61% (95% CI: 20.67%-35.75%) for heart failure, 33.35% (95% CI: 20.97%-43.79%) for myocardial infarction, and 42.29% (95% CI: 30.05%-52.71%) for stroke. Furthermore, there was an additive interaction between PM 2.5, NO x, and NO 2 exposure and high genetic susceptibility on the incidence of myocardial infarction. An additive interaction was also observed between NO x, NO 2 exposure, and high genetic susceptibility on the incidence of heart failure (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Both air pollution and genetic susceptibility increase the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in AF patients.
3.A prospective birth cohort study on the association between gestational blood pressure and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children
Xianhe XIAO ; Lei CHEN ; Yanlong LI ; Zhaoying XIONG ; Yuanzhong ZHOU ; Wei XIA ; Yuanyuan LI ; Shunqing XU ; Huaicai ZENG ; Hongxiu LIU
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;58(9):1302-1310
Objective:To investigate the association between gestational blood pressure and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children.Methods:Based on the"Wuhan Healthy Baby Birth Cohort", 3 754 mother-infant pairs were enrolled in this study. Based on multiple blood pressure measurements during pregnancy, the mean, cumulative, and variability of blood pressure throughout the entire pregnancy and each trimester were calculated. Blood pressure variability was evaluated using standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variability (CV), and variability independent of mean (VIM). Follow-up testing of neurodevelopment in infants and young children at the age of two was conducted to obtain the Mental Development Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Development Index (PDI). The multivariate linear regression and generalized estimation equation were used to analyze the association between gestational blood pressure data and neurodevelopmental index.Results:The age of 3 754 pregnant women was (29.1±3.6) years, with a pre-pregnancy BMI of (20.9±2.7) kg/m2 and a gestational age of (39.3±1.2) weeks. The birth weight of 3 754 children was (3 330.9±397.7) grams, and the birth length was (50.3±1.6) centimeters. The results of the multivariate linear regression analysis showed that after adjusting for relevant confounding factors, the mean blood pressure, cumulative blood pressure, standard deviation of blood pressure, coefficient of variation of blood pressure, independent blood pressure variability of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure throughout pregnancy were negatively associated with the MDI and PDI scores of 2-year-old children. The analysis results of the generalized estimation equation showed that after adjusting for relevant confounding factors, the average systolic blood pressure in the first, second, and third trimesters was negatively associated with MDI/PDI. The negative association between cumulative blood pressure and MDI/PDI was only found in the first trimester. The negative association between blood pressure variation during pregnancy and MDI/PDI was mainly concentrated in the second and third trimesters.Conclusion:There is a negative association between gestational blood pressure and the neurodevelopmental index of 2-year-old children.
4.A prospective birth cohort study on the association between gestational blood pressure and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children
Xianhe XIAO ; Lei CHEN ; Yanlong LI ; Zhaoying XIONG ; Yuanzhong ZHOU ; Wei XIA ; Yuanyuan LI ; Shunqing XU ; Huaicai ZENG ; Hongxiu LIU
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;58(9):1302-1310
Objective:To investigate the association between gestational blood pressure and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children.Methods:Based on the"Wuhan Healthy Baby Birth Cohort", 3 754 mother-infant pairs were enrolled in this study. Based on multiple blood pressure measurements during pregnancy, the mean, cumulative, and variability of blood pressure throughout the entire pregnancy and each trimester were calculated. Blood pressure variability was evaluated using standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variability (CV), and variability independent of mean (VIM). Follow-up testing of neurodevelopment in infants and young children at the age of two was conducted to obtain the Mental Development Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Development Index (PDI). The multivariate linear regression and generalized estimation equation were used to analyze the association between gestational blood pressure data and neurodevelopmental index.Results:The age of 3 754 pregnant women was (29.1±3.6) years, with a pre-pregnancy BMI of (20.9±2.7) kg/m2 and a gestational age of (39.3±1.2) weeks. The birth weight of 3 754 children was (3 330.9±397.7) grams, and the birth length was (50.3±1.6) centimeters. The results of the multivariate linear regression analysis showed that after adjusting for relevant confounding factors, the mean blood pressure, cumulative blood pressure, standard deviation of blood pressure, coefficient of variation of blood pressure, independent blood pressure variability of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure throughout pregnancy were negatively associated with the MDI and PDI scores of 2-year-old children. The analysis results of the generalized estimation equation showed that after adjusting for relevant confounding factors, the average systolic blood pressure in the first, second, and third trimesters was negatively associated with MDI/PDI. The negative association between cumulative blood pressure and MDI/PDI was only found in the first trimester. The negative association between blood pressure variation during pregnancy and MDI/PDI was mainly concentrated in the second and third trimesters.Conclusion:There is a negative association between gestational blood pressure and the neurodevelopmental index of 2-year-old children.
5. Construction of 3β-HSD gene silencing cell line and its effects on apoptosis induced by DEHP
Li WANG ; Xiaoyun QIN ; Xinyun XU ; Huaicai ZENG ; Kai ZHENG ; Bingyu WANG ; Dingxin LONG
Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases 2019;37(1):13-19
Objective:
To construct 3β-HSD gene shRNA lentivirus interference vecto, then transfect into human MCF-7 cells, and construct cell line with 3β-HSD gene silencing, finally to study the effects of 3β-HSD on apoptosis induced by di- (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) .
Methods:
According to the mRNA sequence of 3β-HSD gene provided by GenBank, three interference sequences were designed and connected to PLVX-shRNA2-puro after annealing. The recombinant lentivirus vector was transfected into 293FT cells, the virus supernatants were collected and infected with MCF-7 cells. After puromycin screening, MCF-7 cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing were constructed. The cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing were identified by real-time quantitative PCR and western blot. Then the 3β-HSD gene silencing cells and MCF-7 cells were treated at various doses of DEHP for 24 hours to detect the gene expression and protein expression of apoptosis genes including Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-8.
Results:
The interference sequence of 3β-HSD gene inserted into lentivirus vector PLVX-shRNA2-puro is consistent with the designed sequence. 3β-HSD gene expression level in MCF-7 cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing was 77% lower than than that of control MCF-7 cells. 3β-HSD protein level in MCF-7 cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing was 74% lower than that of control MCF-7 cells. After DEHP treatment in MCF-7 cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing and control MCF-7 cells, qRT-PCR results showed that Bax gene expression levels increased by 28%-54%, Caspase-3 gene increased by 13%-49%, Caspase-8 gene increased by 21%-70% in MCF-7 cells when compared with the control group. Additionally, in the 3β-HSD gene silencing cells, Bax gene expression level decreased by 11%-28%, Caspase-3 gene expression decreased by 12%-23%, Caspase-8 gene expression decreased by 11%-34%, compared with the same treatment group of MCF-7 cells. Western blot results showed that Bax protein expression level increased by 28%-61%, Caspase-3 protein expression level increased by 40%-48%, Caspase-8 protein increased by 31%-84% in MCF-7 cells when compared with the control group. In 3β-HSD gene silencing cells, Bax protein expression level increased by 11%-27%, Caspase-3 protein increased by 21%-40%, Caspase-8 protein increased by 12%-25%, compared with the same treatment group of MCF-7 cells.
Conclusion
The stable 3β-HSD gene silencing cell line are successfully constructed in this study. DEHP can induce increased expression of apoptotic gene and protein. Silencing of 3β-HSD gene can inhibit the activation of apoptotic gene by DEHP in a certain degree.