Objective To evaluate the feaibility and safety of gastrotomy in natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery(NOTES)using technique of percutaneous endoscopic gastostomy(PEG).Methods To retrospectively investigate and compare the success rate,complications and procedure time of gastrotomy in NOTES of dogs between PEG-like approach(PEG group,n =20)and needle knife incision(needle knife group,n =18).Results Gastrotomy was successfully performed in all animals.No mass bleeding or organ injury was observed in PEG group,while one dog in needle knife group encountered mass bleeding,and injuries to the adjacent organs were found in 3 others(0％ in PEG group vs.22％ in needle knife group,P ＜ 0.05).The procedure time of gastrotomy in PEG group was longer than that of needle knife group (15.0±3.7 min vs.6.0 ± 1.1 min,P ＜0.05).Conclusion Compared with the techniqued of needle knife incision,gastrotomy using PEG-like approach in NOTES is safe and feasible.

Objectives To investigate the clinical significance of the airway inflammation mediators,eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4),in children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis. Methods A total of 120 inpatients with RSV bronchiolitis were classified into atopic and non-atopic groups. And 30 healthy subjects were se-lected as normal controls. Urinary LTE4 was determined by ELISA and ECP concentration in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) was tested by UniCAP100 allergen detector. The differences among groups were compared. Results The urinary LTE4 level in atopic group (172.21 ± 67.29 pg/ml) was elevated significantly (P<0.01) than that of non-atopic group (78.21 ± 28.78 pg/ml) and control group (44.22±16.14pg/ml). Significance was also found between non-atopic and control groups (P<0.01). Statistical anal-ysis indicated that urinary LTE4 positively correlated to serum IgE and ECP in children with RSV bronchiolitis (r=0.57,0.49;P<0.01). Conclusions The level of urinary LTE4 and ECP in NPS can provide the reference for treatment and prognosis of children with RSV bronchiolitis.

Objective To establish a quick electrochemical biosensor for the detection of nucleic acid of Ebola virus . Methods The DNA tetrahedral nanostructure was self-assembled on gold surface by strong Au-S chemical bonds , leaving the target probe at the top .A biotinylated-ssDNA was introduced as the detection probe by specific binding of the captured target sequence , before avidin-horseradish peroxidase ( HRP) was used as a signal amplifier to transduce amperometric sig-nal through interactions with TMB substrate .Results The results indicated that the nucleotide sequence of Ebola virus could be recognized and detected by the sensor .The linear range for the detection of target DNA was from 1.0 ×10 -9 to 5.0 ×10 -6 mol/L,and the detection limit was 5.2 ×10 -10 mol/L.Conclusion The fabricated sensor is demonstrated to be sensitive and specific for the detection of Ebola virus nucleotide .

Lnc-HUR1 is an HBV-related long non-coding RNA, which can promote the proliferation of hepatoma cells and the occurrence and development of liver cancer. In this study we explored the effect of lnc-HUR1 on the apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by taking the approach of immunoblotting, quantitative real time PCR, luciferase reporter assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and flow cytometry. We found that overexpression of lnc-HUR1 significantly reduced the activity of caspase3/7 and the cleavage of PARP-1, while knocking down of lnc-HUR1 significantly increased the activity of caspase3/7 and promoted the cleavage of PARP-1 in HepG2 cells treated with TGF-β, pentafluorouracil or staurosporine. Consistently, the data from Annexin-V/PI staining showed that overexpression of lnc-HUR1 inhibited apoptosis, while knockdown of lnc-HUR1 promoted apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of lnc-HUR1 up-regulated the apoptosis inhibitor Bcl-2 and down-regulated the pro-apoptotic factor BAX at both RNA and protein levels. In the CCL4-induced acute liver injury mice model, the expression of Bcl-2 in the liver tissue of lnc-HUR1 transgenic mice was higher than that of the control mice. The data from ChIP assay indicated that lnc-HUR1 reduced the enrichment of p53 on Bcl-2 and BAX promoters. All these results indicated that lnc-HUR1 inhibited the apoptosis by promoting the expression of apoptosis inhibitor Bcl-2 and inhibiting the expression of apoptosis promoting factor BAX. Further studies showed that lnc-HUR1 regulated the transcription of Bcl-2 and BAX in HCT116 cells, but had no effect on the expression of Bcl-2 and BAX in HCT116 p53^-/- cells, indicating that lnc-HUR1 regulates the transcription of Bcl-2 and BAX dependent upon the activity of p53. In conclusion, HBV upregulated lnc-HUR1 can inhibit the apoptosis of hepatoma cells. Lnc-HUR1 inhibits apoptosis by inhibiting the transcriptional activity of p53. These results suggest that lnc-HUR1 plays an important role in the occurrence and development of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
Animals ; Annexins/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepatitis B virus/metabolism* ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics* ; Mice ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors/pharmacology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/pharmacology* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism* ; Staurosporine/pharmacology* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/pharmacology* ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/pharmacology* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/pharmacology*

Osteosarcoma,which primarily affects children and adolescents,is a highly malignant bone tumor with high rates of disability and mortality.Therefore,the exploration of biological markers related to its occurrence,development,and prognosis is crucial.Genome-wide association studies have revealed the vital role of genetic polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma.This study aims to provide new insights into reliable biomarkers of osteosarcoma through the analysis of the functional single-nucleotide polymor-phisms of tumor-related genes.

Moschus chrysogaster (sifanicus) viral hemorrhagic disease (McVHD) is an acute and highly lethal infectious disease caused by Moschus chrysogaster hemorrhagic disease virus (McHDV) whose genome sequence is highly homologous with rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus. To screen the protective antigen of McHDV and set the basis for study of McVHD vaccine, the antigen epitope of major structural protein VP60 of McHDV was analyzed, and the specific primers were designed to obtain three amplified DNA sequences encoding the main antigen epitope of VP60 from McHDV by using RT-PCR. Then the three DNA fragments were sequenced and cloned to prokaryotic expression vector with pET-28a(+) by using overlap extension PCR, and finally the prokaryotic expression plasmid pET-truncated-VP60 was constructed. Subsequently, the pET-truncated-VP60 was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), and the recombinant proteins were expressed by IPTG induction. Finally, the expressed protein was purified and applied to immunize that without immunizing with RHD vaccine, then the antiserum titers were evaluated by the hemagglutination inhibition test, and the immune-protective efficacy of the recombinant proteins was observed and analyzed through animal challenge test. The results showed that the multi-epitope DNA fragments of VP60 of McHDV was successfully expressed in the form of inclusion bodies in E. coli, and the relative molecular weight of recombinant proteins is about 45 kDa. After immunized with the recombinant proteins, 100% of New Zealand white rabbits were resistant to attack of McHDV, which indicates efficient immune-protective efficacy of chosen epitope recombinant protein. The study laid a foundation for the development of the new subunit vaccines of McVHD.

A novel protein encoded by the open reading frame 4 (ORF4) was recently discovered in porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). However, little is known about the interaction proteins of ORF4 which hindered better understanding the biological functions of ORF4 in the life cycle of PCV2. In the present study, the ORF4 was inserted into the multiple cloning site of pCMV-N-Flag-GST, yielding recombinant plasmid pCMV-N-Flag-GST-ORF4. The recombinant plasmid was transfected into 293T cells and the intracellular interaction complex of ORF4 were enriched and separated by GST pull-down and SDS-PAGE, sequentially. The potential interacting proteins of PCV2 ORF4 were stained with silver and identified by mass spectrometry (MS). Finally, five candidate ORF4-interacting proteins, including Serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit, alpha cardiac muscle 1, actin, SEC14-like protein 5 and myosin 9 were identified. These results would benefit a better understanding of the biological function of ORF4 in PCV2 infected cells.
Animals ; Circoviridae Infections ; Circovirus ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Open Reading Frames ; Swine ; Viral Proteins

B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is characterized by genetic alterations with high heterogeneity. Precise subtypes with distinct genomic and/or gene expression patterns have been recently revealed using high-throughput sequencing technology. Most of these profiles are associated with recurrent non-overlapping rearrangements or hotspot point mutations that are analogous to the established subtypes, such as DUX4 rearrangements, MEF2D rearrangements, ZNF384/ZNF362 rearrangements, NUTM1 rearrangements, BCL2/MYC and/or BCL6 rearrangements, ETV6-RUNX1-like gene expression, PAX5alt (diverse PAX5 alterations, including rearrangements, intragenic amplifications, or mutations), and hotspot mutations PAX5 (p.Pro80Arg) with biallelic PAX5 alterations, IKZF1 (p.Asn159Tyr), and ZEB2 (p.His1038Arg). These molecular subtypes could be classified by gene expression patterns with RNA-seq technology. Refined molecular classification greatly improved the treatment strategy. Multiagent therapy regimens, including target inhibitors (e.g., imatinib), immunomodulators, monoclonal antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, are transforming the clinical practice from chemotherapy drugs to personalized medicine in the field of risk-directed disease management. We provide an update on our knowledge of emerging molecular subtypes and therapeutic targets in BCP-ALL.
B-Lymphocytes ; Humans ; Mutation ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics* ; Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma

Excessive theta (θ) frequency oscillation and synchronization in the basal ganglia (BG) has been reported in elderly parkinsonian patients and animal models of levodopa (L-dopa)-induced dyskinesia (LID), particularly the θ oscillation recorded during periods when L-dopa is withdrawn (the off L-dopa state). To gain insight into processes underlying this activity, we explored the relationship between primary motor cortex (M1) oscillatory activity and BG output in LID. We recorded local field potentials in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) and M1 of awake, inattentive resting rats before and after L-dopa priming in Sham control, Parkinson disease model, and LID model groups. We found that chronic L-dopa increased θ synchronization and information flow between the SNr and M1 in off L-dopa state LID rats, with a SNr-to-M1 flow directionality. Compared with the on state, θ oscillational activity (θ synchronization and information flow) during the off state were more closely associated with abnormal involuntary movements. Our findings indicate that θ oscillation in M1 may be consequent to abnormal synchronous discharges in the BG and support the notion that M1 θ oscillation may participate in the induction of dyskinesia.

The Ly-6 and uPAR (LU) domain-containing proteins represent a large family of cell-surface markers. In particular, mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1 is a widely used marker for various stem cells; however, its human ortholog is missing. In this study, based on a systematic survey and comparative genomic study of mouse and human LU domain-containing proteins, we identified a previously unannotated human gene encoding the candidate ortholog of mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1. This gene, hereby named LY6A, reversely overlaps with a lncRNA gene in the majority of exonic sequences. We found that LY6A is aberrantly expressed in pituitary tumors, but not in normal pituitary tissues, and may contribute to tumorigenesis. Similar to mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1, human LY6A is also upregulated by interferon, suggesting a conserved transcriptional regulatory mechanism between humans and mice. We cloned the full-length LY6A cDNA, whose encoded protein sequence, domain architecture, and exon-intron structures are all well conserved with mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1. Ectopic expression of the LY6A protein in cells demonstrates that it acts the same as mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1 in their processing and glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchoring to the cell membrane. Collectively, these studies unveil a novel human gene encoding a candidate biomarker and provide an interesting model gene for studying gene regulatory and evolutionary mechanisms.
Humans ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Pituitary Neoplasms/genetics* ; Biomarkers