Insufficient catalytic efficiency of flavonoid 6-hydroxylases in the fermentative production of scutellarin leads to the formation of at least about 18% of by-products. Here, the catalytic mechanisms of two flavonoid 6-hydroxylases, CYP82D4 and CYP706X, were investigated by molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemical calculations. Our results show that CYP82D4 and CYP706X have almost identical energy barriers at the rate-determining step and thus similar reaction rates, while the relatively low substrate binding energy of CYP82D4 may facilitate product release, which is directly responsible for its higher catalytic efficiency. Based on the study of substrate entry and release processes, the catalytic efficiency of the L540A mutation of CYP82D4 increased by 1.37-fold, demonstrating the feasibility of theoretical calculations-guided engineering of flavonoid 6-hydroxylase. Overall, this study reveals the catalytic mechanism of flavonoid 6-hydroxylases, which may facilitate the modification and optimization of flavonoid 6-hydroxylases for efficient fermentative production of scutellarin.
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism* ; Apigenin ; Glucuronates

Currently, there is still no effective curative treatment for the development of late-stage liver fibrosis. Here, we have illustrated that TB001, a dual glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor/glucagon receptor (GLP-1R/GCGR) agonist with higher affinity towards GCGR, could retard the progression of liver fibrosis in various rodent models, with remarkable potency, selectivity, extended half-life and low toxicity. Four types of liver fibrosis animal models which were induced by CCl₄, α-naphthyl-isothiocyanate (ANIT), bile duct ligation (BDL) and Schistosoma japonicum were used in our study. We found that TB001 treatment dose-dependently significantly attenuated liver injury and collagen accumulation in these animal models. In addition to decreased levels of extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation during hepatic injury, activation of hepatic stellate cells was also inhibited via suppression of TGF-β expression as well as downstream Smad signaling pathways particularly in CCl₄-and S. japonicum-induced liver fibrosis. Moreover, TB001 attenuated liver fibrosis through blocking downstream activation of pro-inflammatory nuclear factor kappa B/NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha (NFκB/IKBα) pathways as well as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent induction of hepatocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, GLP-1R and/or GCGR knock-down results represented GCGR played an important role in ameliorating CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, TB001 can be used as a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of multiple causes of hepatic fibrosis demonstrated by our extensive pre-clinical evaluation of TB001.

Objective:To identify the hub differentially expressed genes(DEGs)of glomerular pathological changes and potential pathways in molecular process of type 2 diabetic nephropathy(DN)based on bioinformatics technology.Methods:The differentially expressed genes of Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)dataset GSE96804 in DN and normal kidney tissues were analyzed by R 3.6.2 software. DEGs were further assessed by Gene Ontology(GO)function enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)signal pathway analysis. Subsequently, the hub genes and their associated pathways were analyzed using String 11.0 and Cytoscape 3.7.2 software.Results:A total of 168 DEGs were obtained in the dataset. Among them, seven hub genes were identified, including ALB, FN1, EGF, PTGS2, PLG, KDR, and LOX. Three hub genes, ALB, EGF, PLG, exerted a direct action on glomerulus. GO enrichment analysis of DEGs was mainly manifested in extracellular matrix organization, extracellular structure organization, platelet degranulation and other biological processes, extracellular matrix, secretory granule lumen, platelet alpha granule and other cell components, chaperone binding, copper ion binding, antioxidant activity, and other molecular functions. DEGs mainly regulated metabolic process, which was related to fatty acid degradation signal pathway, exogenous substance metabolism related to CYP enzyme and drug metabolism signal pathway.Conclusion:A bioinformatics analysis of DN from the perspective of glomerulopathy is helpful to understand the potential molecular mechanism of DN and provide reference for further validation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and genetic basis for a pair of twins affected with hyaline fibromatosis syndrome (HFS). METHODS: Clinical data of the twins were retrospectively analyzed. High-throughput sequencing was carried out to detect potential pathogenic variants. CLUSTALX was employed to analyze cross-species conservation of the mutant amino acids. Impact of the mutations was predicted by using software including PolyPhen-2 and Mutation taster. RESULTS: The pair of twins have featured growth and intelligence retardation, and were found to carry compound heterozygous variants of the ANTXR2 gene including c.1214G>A and c.1074delT, among which c.1214G>A was unreported previously. Both variants were predicted to be pathogenic. In addition to growth and mental delay, the pair of twins also featured hyperplasia of the gum and soft tissue-like masses of the auricle. The younger brother had rupture of the auricle mass during follow-up. CONCLUSION The patients' condition can probably be attributed to the compound heterozygous variants of the ANTXR2 gene. Above finding has facilitated molecular diagnosis of the patients.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group/genetics* ; China ; Humans ; Hyalinosis, Systemic/genetics* ; Male ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Receptors, Peptide/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To get a knowledge of the current status of organ donation and utilization after citizen's death in Wuxi District, and thereby provide ideas and basis for further development of organ donation work in local areas. Methods Clinical data from 151 organ donors, included 37 successful donors and 114 potential donors, were retrospectively analyzed. The reasons for donation failure of potential donors were analyzed. The general information for successful donors was collected. And the information on organ donation and organ utilization in successful donors were analyzed. Results Among the 151 organ donors, 37 were successful donors, with the conversion rate reaching 24.5%. For the 114 donors with failed organ donation, the reasons for failure included family disagreement, failure to meet donation status criteria, insufficient evaluation time, and unresolved work injury disputes. The categories for organ donation included 34 cases of donation after brain death followed by cardiac death (DBCD), 3 cases of donation after brain death (DBD), and no case of donation after cardiac death (DCD). The reasons for death of donors includes 19 cases of craniocerebral trauma, 14 cases of stroke and 4 cases of others. Among the 37 cases of successful donors, the majority were floating population. A total of 154 major organs and tissues were donated, of which 124 were major organs. The number of major organs and tissues donated per citizen was (4.2± 1.6) and the number of major organs donated per citizen was (3.4± 1.1). The utilization rate of the 154 donated organs reached 96.7% (149/154), with Nanjing, Wuxi, Suzhou and Changzhou ranking the top 4 of organ distribution. Conclusions The rate for successful organ donation and conversion after citizen's death is low in Wuxi District. The organ donation work networks in local areas should be established. And organ donation promotion efforts and skills training for coordinators should be developed.

Objective: To investigate the expression change, biological role and action mechanism of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00978 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: The expression levels of LINC00978 in tumor tissues and serum samples of NSCLC patients were detected by the qRT-PCR. The effects of knockdown and overexpression of LINC00978 on the biological function of A549 cells were determined by the CCK-8, colony formation, Transwell migration and invasion assays. The action mechanisms of LINC00978 in NSCLC were investigated by the flow cytometry, qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Results: The expression levels of LINC00978 in the tissues ( t =2.465, P ＜0.05) and serum samples ( t =8.781, P ＜0.01) of NSCLC patients increased. The knockdown of LINC00978 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 cells ( P ＜0.01) and induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase and apoptosis of A549 cells ( P ＜0.01). The knockdown of LINC00978 downregulated the expression of Cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 , and upregulated the expression of Bax ( P ＜0.05). In addition, the knockdown of LINC00978 inhibited the expression of N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, Slug and Twist, and promoted the expression of E-cadherin ( P ＜0.05). The overexpression of LINC00978 had the opposite effect. Conclusion LINC00978 is highly expressed in NSCLC and can promote the occurrence and progression of NSCLC, which may serve as a potential target for the diagnosis and therapy of NSCLC.

Objective: To determine the changed expression levels, biological roles and underlying mechanism of LncSox4 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), providing novel biomarkers for NSCLC diagnosis and therapy. Methods: QRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of LncSox4 in the tumor tissues of NSCLC patients. Colony formation, cell growth curve, Transwell migration and invasion assays were used to determine the effects of LncSox4 knockdown on A549 cell function, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to determine the effects of LncSox4 on the progression of A549 cell cycle. QRT-PCR and western blot were used to explore the expressions of genes and proteins in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Results: The expression of LncSox4 was upregulated significantly in carcinoma tissues of NSCLC compared to the para-carcinoma tissues (t=7.109，P＜0.01). The growth rate of A549 cells slowed down in LncSox4 knockdown group and the number of formed cell colonies was less than that in control group(P＜0.01). LncSox4 knockdown reduced the migration and invasion abilities of A549 cells (P＜0.01) and induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase(P＜0.01). LncSox4 knockdown downregulated the protein expressions of Cyclin D1, c-Myc, N-cadherin, and Vimentin, while upregulated the expression of E-cadherin in A549 cells. LncSox4 knockdown also decreased the expressions of EMT-related transcription factors including snail, slug and twist. Conclusion The high expression of LncSox4 in NSCLC may promote malignant progression of NSCLC by enhancing cell proliferation, migration and invasion, suggesting that it should be a promising target for diagnosis and therapy of NSCLC.

We investigated serotype and resistance of Salmonella during pig slaughtering in Shandong Province,China,providing basic data for the risk assessment of Salmonella and for guiding the clinical medication.We used rapid classification kit to identify Salmonella serotype,adopted broth microdilution method to detect the resistance of 13 kinds drugs belong to 8 categories.Result showed that the identified 9 kinds of serotype were mainly S.derby and S.typhimurium.The resistance to 13 kinds drugs of 298 Salmonella were different.The higher percentage of tetracycline drugs as Doxycycline(DOX) and Tetracycline(TE) were 97.99％ and 80.20％,respectively,which was most sensitive to Colistine E.The resistant rate was only 2.01 ％,following by Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid and Ofloxacin which were 2.35 ％ and 4.03％,and the multiple resistant rate was 81.88％.TE-DOX was the regnant drug-resistant spectrum.In conclusion,the predominant serotype of Salmonella in links of pig slaughtering in Shandong Province is S.derby,and resistance is different to the different drugs.The drug resistance of different slaughter links exist significant differences,multiple drug resistance is serious,and drug-resistant spectrum are varied.

Objective To explore the feasibility of tubeless 2 μm laser vaporesection in treating pediatric ureter cysts by ureteroscopy.MethodsClinical data of 33 ureter cysts patients who received tubeless 2 μm laser vaporesections by ureteroscopy were reviewed. The median age of patients was 4 years with a range from 1 to 7 years. The operations were carried out by RevoLix 2 μm laser through ureteroscopy without ureter stents and catheters indwelling.ResultsAll operations were successfully performed. And no serious complications occurred after the operations.ConclusionsTubeless transurethral 2 μm laser treatment by ureteroscopy was a superior micro-invasive surgery method for pediatrics with ureter cysts, with advantages of little blood loss, high safety, convenient operation and infrequent complications.

Objective To observe the effects of Chinese herbal compounds (alkaloid of Coptidis Rhizoma 40%, total saponin of panax notoginseng 35%, and polysaccharide of Ophiopogonis Radix 25%) on levels of blood glucose, fructosamine, and insulin of diabetic rats, and explore mechanism of action.Methods Ten rats were randomly chosen as blank control group, and other rats were used to establish diabetic rat models by STZ intraperitoneal injection. Successfully molding rats were randomly divided into Chinese herbal compounds high, medium, low dose groups, metformin group, and model group, 10 rats in each group. Each rat received gavage for continuous 4 weeks. Then rat blood was collected by cutting head and taking caudal vein. FBG was detected by glucose oxidase method;insulin level was detected by radio-immunity double antibody method;fructosamine content was detected by fructosamine method.Results Compared with the blank control group, model group the levels of FBG, froctosamine content increased, while fasting insulin level were lower after 4 weeks'medication. Compared with the model group, the levels of FBG, froctosamine content in Chinese herbal compounds high and medium dose groups and metformin group were lower, while fasting insulin level increased after 4 weeks'medication (P<0.05).Conclusion TCM herbal compounds can increased the basic insulin level by decreasing the contents of FBG and fructosamine.