BACKGROUND:Filamin B(FLNB)can crosslink the actin cytoskeleton into a dynamic structure that is essential for the directional movement of cells.It can regulate the proliferation,differentiation and apoptosis of chondrocytes.However,the effect of FLNB on osteoblast proliferation,migration and apoptosis has not been reported. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of FLNB on the proliferation,migration and apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells. METHODS:The adenoviral vectors for knockdown of FLNB expression(sh-FLNB1,sh-FLNB2,sh-FLNB3)were constructed and infected with MC3T3-E1 cells.After screened by puromycin drug,the efficiency of FLNB knockdown was detected by western blot and RT-PCR.The MC3T3-E1 cell line with the best efficiency of FLNB knockdown was selected as the stable transient cell line of MC3T3-E1 for subsequent experiments.The cells were divided into blank group,mc3t3 group,sh-NC group(empty vector),and sh-FLNB group(sh-FLNB lentivirus).The blank group was cultured in cell-free α-MEM complete medium;the mc3t3 group was cultured in α-MEM complete medium alone;and the sh-NC and sh-FLNB groups were cultured with α-MEM medium containing 2.5 μg/mL puromycin.After 3 days of culture,cell counting kit-8 assay and cell scratch assay were used to detect the proliferation and migration ability of MC3T3-E1;flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis;and RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related genes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Western blot and RT-PCR results showed that the efficiency of FLNB knockdown was the best in the sh-FLNB3(P<0.000 1),which was used as a stable cell line for subsequent experiments.Cell counting kit-8 data showed that the proliferative ability of MC3T3 cells was significantly weakened after knockdown of FLNB(P<0.05).Cell scratch assay results showed that the migration ability of MC3T3 cells was significantly decreased after knockdown of FLNB.Flow cytometry and RT-PCR results showed that the apoptotic rate of MC3T3-E1 cells increased after knockdown of FLNB,the expression of pro-apoptotic factor Bax increased significantly,and the expression of anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 decreased significantly(P<0.05).To conclude,knockdown of FLNB can reduce the proliferation ability of MC3T3-E1 cells,decrease the migration ability of the cells,and increase cell apoptosis.

Objective:To develop a recombinant protein vaccine based on KPC-2, a drug resistance target in Klebsiella pneumoniae, and evaluate its immunogenicity, protective efficacy and mechanism in a mouse model of pneumonia. Methods:KPC-2 was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using GST affinity chromatography. A recombinant protein vaccine was prepared with KPC-2 and used to immunize New Zealand rabbits through subcutaneous injection. Serum samples were isolated from cardiac blood and Protein G chromatography was used to purify polyclonal antibodies against KPC-2. Opsonophagocytic killing assay was used to assess the bactericidal activity of the polyclonal antibodies in vitro. Female BALB/c mice were immunized three times with the recombinant protein vaccine, and the titers of specific IgG antibodies in serum were measured by indirect ELISA. One week after the last vaccination, the mice were infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae strain SRT through tracheal intubation, and received a single intravenous dose of meropenem (0.1 mg) 1 h later. The protective efficacy of the KPC-2 recombinant protein vaccine was evaluated by comparing the survival rates, bacterial colonization and histopathological changes between vaccine group and adjuvant group as well as the survival rates between meropenem group and normal saline group. Moreover, the protective efficacy of polyclonal antibodies against KPC-2 was evaluated through passive immunization. Results:The level of specific IgG antibodies in serum was significantly higher in the vaccine group than in the adjuvant group ( t=4.325, P<0.05). The survival rate in the vaccine group was also higher than that of the adjuvant group [70% (7/10) vs 10% (1/10), P<0.05]. Furthermore, lung inflammation was less severe and bacterial burden was reduced in the vaccine group as compared with those of the control group ( t=3.127, P<0.05). Both active and passive vaccination strategies demonstrated strong protective efficacy against Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, and had a synergistic effect when used in combination with antibiotic therapy. The polyclonal antibodies against KPC-2 had bactericidal activity in vitro ( t=5.427, P<0.05). Conclusions:The prepared KPC-2 vaccine has better immunogenicity and protective efficacy. It can induce strong humoral immune responses. This study suggest that drug resistance target may be used as a candidate antigen for future vaccine development.

Objective:To evaluate the impact of three small compounds, namely sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC), levamisole (LMS) and imiquimod (Imi), on the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the candidate antigen PA0833 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( Pa) and analyze the underlying mechanisms. Methods:PA0833 was formulated with aluminum adjuvant and the above small compounds, respectively. BALB/c mice were immunized with these vaccines intramuscularly on days 0, 14 and 21. Serum samples were collected and the levels of PA0833-specific IgG were measured by ELISA. The protective efficacy of these vaccines was evaluated by assessment of survival rates, body weights, clinical scores, inflammatory factors, and histopathological changes after infecting the immunized mice with Pa PAO1 strains. Besides, the mice were injected with DTC intramuscularly for seven consecutive days to analyze the mechanism of DTC in enhancing immune response using transcriptome sequencing and flow cytometry. Results:All these small compounds were capable of effectively enhancing the immunogenicity of PA0833 formulated with aluminum adjuvant, reducing bacterial loads in lung tissues, inhibiting the secretion of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, and improving mouse survival rates upon Pa infection. DTC was more effective than the other two compounds. Transcriptome sequencing identified 121 up-regulated genes and 18 down-regulated genes in DTC-treated group as compared with PBS control group. These differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in immune pathways, with a strong activation of the IL-17 pathway. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated significant activation of dendritic cells and proliferation of Th17 cells in splenocytes in DTC-treated group as compared with PBS control group. Conclusions:All three small compounds are able of effectively enhance antigen immunogenicity with DTC being the most effective, indicating that DTC can be used as a novel adjuvant in vaccine development.

The stimulator of interferon genes(STING),an integral adaptor protein in the DNA-sensing pathway,plays a pivotal role in the innate immune response against infections.Additionally,it presents a valuable therapeutic target for infectious diseases and cancer.We observed that fangchinoline(Fan),a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid(BBA),effectively impedes the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus(VSV),encephalomyocarditis virus(EMCV),influenza A virus(H1 N1),and herpes simplex virus-1(HSV-1)in vitro.Fan treatment significantly reduced the viral load,attenuated tissue inflammation,and improved survival in a viral sepsis mouse model.Mechanistically,Fan activates the antiviral response in a STING-dependent manner,leading to increased expression of interferon(1FN)and interferon-stimulated genes(ISGs)for potent antiviral effects in vivo and in vitro.Notably,Fan interacts with STING,preventing its degradation and thereby extending the activation of IFN-based antiviral responses.Collectively,our findings highlight the potential of Fan,which elicits antiviral immunity by suppressing STING degra-dation,as a promising candidate for antiviral therapy.

It is necessary to explore potent therapeutic agents via regulating gut microbiota and metabolism to combat Parkinson's disease(PD).Dioscin,a bioactive steroidal saponin,shows various activities.How-ever,its effects and mechanisms against PD are limited.In this study,dioscin dramatically alleviated neuroinflammation and oxidative stress,and restored the disorders of mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP).16 S rDNA sequencing assay demonstrated that dioscin reversed MPTP-induced gut dysbiosis to decrease Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and the abundances of Enterococcus,Streptococcus,Bacteroides and Lactobacillus genera,which further inhibited bile salt hy-drolase(BSH)activity and blocked bile acid(BA)deconjugation.Fecal microbiome transplantation test showed that the anti-PD effect of dioscin was gut microbiota-dependent.In addition,non-targeted fecal metabolomics assays revealed many differential metabolites in adjusting steroid biosynthesis and pri-mary bile acid biosynthesis.Moreover,targeted bile acid metabolomics assay indicated that dioscin increased the levels of ursodeoxycholic acid,tauroursodeoxycholic acid,taurodeoxycholic acid and β-muricholic acid in feces and serum.In addition,ursodeoxycholic acid administration markedly improved the protective effects of dioscin against PD in mice.Mechanistic test indicated that dioscin significantly up-regulated the levels of takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5(TGR5),glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor(GLP-1R),GLP-1,superoxide dismutase(SOD),and down-regulated NADPH oxidases 2(NOX2)and nu-clear factor-kappaB(NF-κB)levels.Our data indicated that dioscin ameliorated PD phenotype by restoring gut dysbiosis and regulating bile acid-mediated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation via targeting GLP-1 signal in MPTP-induced PD mice,suggesting that the compound should be considered as a prebiotic agent to treat PD in the future.

Objective : To investigate the effect of lentivirus mediated silencing of NIPBL gene on osteogenic differentiation of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ( BMSCs) . Methods : The third generation C57 Mouse Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were divided into experimental group , negative control group and blank control group. The lentiviral vector was transfected into mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells , the transfection results were observed by inverted fluorescence microscope , and the expression of NIPBL gene was detected by real- time PCR. The cells of each group were cultured by osteogenic induction. The alkaline phosphatase activity was 2 and RUNX⁃2. Results : The expression of NIPBL mRNA decreased in the experimental group (P < 0. 05) . The activity of alkaline phosphatase in experimental group was lower than that in negative control group and blank control group (P < 0. 05) . The gene transcription and protein expression levels of OCN, BMP⁃2 and Runx⁃2 in experimental group were lower than those in negative control group and blank control group ( P < 0. 05 ) . Alizarin red staining results showed that the negative control group and blank control group had more red calcium nodules than the experimental group. Conclusion Lentivirus mediated silencing of NIPBL gene reduces the proliferation of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells , inhibits the expression of osteogenic differentiation related genes , and reduces the osteogenic differentiation ability.

[Abstract] Objective: To investigate the effect of alantolactone (ALT) on proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of human osteosarcoma 143B cells and the underlying mechanism. Methods: Osteosarcoma 143B cells were treated with different concentrations of ALT (0, 4, 6, 8, 10 µmol/L). Then, the cell proliferation ability was detected by crystal violet staining and MTT assay, cell migration was determined by Wound-healing test, cell invasion was analyzed by Transwell assay and cell apoptosis rate was detected by Hoechst33258 staining. The mRNA and protein expressions of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3 (c-caspase-3), poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and cleaved PARP (c-PARP) in 143B cells were detected by qPCR and Western blotting (WB), respectively. TCF/LEF (T cell lymphocyte factor/lymphoid enhancer factor) transcriptional activity was examined with Luciferase reporter gene assay. The mRNA and protein expressions of β-catenin as well as MMP-7 and c-Myc were detected by qPCR and WB, respectively. Results: ALT inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma143B cells and promoted apoptosis(P<0.05or P<0.01). After the treatment with ALT at 8, 10 µmol/L, the mRNA and protein expressions of E-cadherin and PARP, as well as the protein expressions of c-caspase-3 and c-PARP were up-regulated, while the mRNA and protein expressions of N-cadherin were downregulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01);At the sametime, theTCF/LEF transcriptional activity and the mRNA and protein expressions of β-catenin, MMP-7 and c-Myc were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion:ALT may inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion and promote cell apoptosis possibly through suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in osteosarcoma 143B cells.

Objective:To investigate the effect of AngioJet thrombectomy on proximal iliofemoral vein thrombosis after trauma.Methods:The clinical data of patients with proximal iliofemoral vein thrombosis treated with AngioJet thrombectomy were retrospectively analyzed at Vascular Surgery Department of our hospital in 2019.Results:A total of 76 patients were enrolled. After PMT 20 patients had grade Ⅲ thrombolysis clearance(26.3%), 41 patients (53.9%) had grade Ⅱ clearance, and 15 cases (19.7%) had grade Ⅰ clearance. Thirty four cases (44.7%) of grade Ⅲ were cleared after catheter aspiration or catheter thrombolysis, 35 cases (46.1%) of grade Ⅱ, 7 cases (9.2%) of grade Ⅰ were cleared, thrombus clearance rate increased significantly ( P<0.05). Cerebral hemorrhage occurred in 1 case (1.3%), and thrombosis recurred in 2 cases (2.6%). The patency rate was 91.8% at 3 months follow-up. Conclusions:AngioJet thrombectomy is a safe and effective method for treating post-traumatic proximal iliac femoral vein thrombosis. Intraoperative application of urokinase thrombolysis, catheter aspiration and catheter-directed thrombolysis can increase thrombus clearance effect.

Biotechnological Pharmaceutics is a compulsory course for biotechnology undergraduates in our school. We designed and implemented an elective course named Structural Biology to help students master technological principles through practice. This elective course included in-classroom lectures and experiments; during which we encouraged students to work together, and design, prepare, implement, and complete projects; examination score of Biotechnological Pharmaceutics was used to assess learning outcomes. The results showed that students who took this course gained higher score in the examination, indicating that the elective course is effective to improve the learning effect of Biotechnological Pharmaceutics for biotechnology undergraduates.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the exposure of occupational hazards, occupational and mental health status of high-speed railway locomotive drivers. METHODS: A total of 150 male high-speed railway locomotive drivers from Nanchang Railway administration were selected as experimental group, and 80 male ordinary train drivers were selected as control group by using a judgment sampling method. The occupational disease hazard testing and occupational health examinations were conducted in drivers of these two groups. The mental health status survey was conducted using the Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90). RESULTS: The noise, power frequency electric field, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene and carbon dioxide in all the work place of these two groups were in line with the national occupational health standards. The exposure noise intensity of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group [(70.5±3.7) vs(77.4±4.1) dB(A), P<0.05]. The detection rates of hypertension and chronic gastritis were higher in the experimental group(18.7% vs 34.7%, 26.2% vs 42.0%, P<0.05). The detection rate of high frequency hearing loss decreased in the experimental group compared with the control group(22.5% vs 10.7%, P<0.05). The total score of SCL-90 in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group [(169.5±6.1) vs(148.0±6.0) score, P<0.01]. The positive rate of psychological symptoms was higher in the experimental group than that of the control group(41.3% vs 23.8%, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The concentration/intensity of occupational disease hazards in the workplace of high-speed railway locomotives drivers is within normal limit. The occupational health status of high-speed railway locomotive drivers is generally good, but attention should be paid to their occupational mental health hazards.