4.Sequence variation and bioinformatics analysis of Toxoplasma gondii GRA16 Gene
Hu, L.Y., Zhang, N.Z., Gao, Q., Chen, J., Wen, F.L., Wang, S.K., Zhu, X.Q.
Tropical Biomedicine 2015;32(3):557-562
Toxoplasmosis is caused by the intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. It is
anopportunistic zoonosis in warm-blooded animals and humans, with a worldwide distribution.
Toxoplasma gondii dense granule protein 16 (TgGRA16) can modulate some functions in
host cells and is considered a significant virulent factor of the parasite. The present study
reports sequence variation in TgGRA16 gene among T. gondii strains from different hosts and
geographical locations, and the construction of phylogenetic relationships of these T. gondii
strains based on sequences of TgGRA16, and analysis of B cell epitopes in TgGRA16. Our
results showed that all TgGRA16 gene sequences were 1518 bp and the C+G contents ranged
from 52.17% to 52.59%. Sequence variation in the TgGRA16 gene was 0-1.51%. Phylogenetic
analysis revealed that TgGRA16 gene sequence could not be used to differentiate the different
T. gondii genotypes. Six B cell epitopes were predicted in TgGRA16. These results indicated
that TgGRA16 gene is not an ideal marker for studying genetic relationships of T. gondii
isolates, but may represent a good vaccine candidate against toxoplasmosis.
5.A cohort study on the association between dynamics of thyroid volume and the changes of physical growth as well as the comparison of different thyroid volume indexes in school-aged children.
Y Y WANG ; Alitengsaier NI GEDELI ; C W FU ; F JIANG ; Q ZHAO ; N WANG ; Q W JIANG
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2018;39(12):1544-1548
Objectives: To investigate the association between the dynamics of thyroid volume and the changes of physical growth in school-aged children as well as to compare the applicability of different thyroid volume indexes, so as to explore more reliable methods for the assessment of thyroid volume. Methods: In October 2012, a multi-stage cluster sampling method was used to select a primary school in Minhang district of Shanghai, Haimen city of Jiangsu province and Yuhuan city of Zhejiang province, respectively. In these areas, a total number of 784 students aged 8-10 years were enrolled in the cohort. Demographic data was collected, while height and weight were measured, with BMI and body surface area (BSA) were calculated. Thyroid volume was examined by B-ultrasonography. Height volume index (HVI), weight and height volume index (WHVI), BMI volume index (BMIV) and BSA volume index (BSAV) were all applied to correct the thyroid volume. All students were followed up, one year later. Results: A total of 769 students with complete data on thyroid volume and physical growth were enrolled, including 378 boys (49.16%) and 391 girls (50.84%). Thyroid volume showed an increase with age, while growth of thyroid volume reduced with the increase of age (P<0.001). The thyroid volume showed a correlation with the changes of physical growth. The growth of height appeared as the dominant influencing factor for thyroid volume growth in those aged 8 and 10 years (P<0.05), while the growth of weight, BMI and BSA were all influencing factors for thyroid volume on students aged 9 years (P<0.05). Conclusions: Thyroid volume in school-aged children was a factor not only associated with age but also with physical growth which had not been considered in the currently used criteria. The inclusion of items as iodine intake, age, physical growth into the thyroid volume indexes seemed to be more reliable, in practice. For the assessment of goiter, HVI for students aged 8 and 10 years and BMIV for students aged 9 years might serve as better indicators.
Body Mass Index
;
Body Weight
;
Child
;
China
;
Cohort Studies
;
Female
;
Goiter
;
Humans
;
Iodine
;
Male
;
Organ Size
;
Thyroid Gland/growth & development*
6.Progress in intestinal adaptation after enterectomy.
H F SUN ; Q B ZHOU ; W X WANG ; F Q WANG ; Q Q ZHANG ; Z Q SUN ; W T YUAN
Chinese Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery 2022;25(12):1132-1137
Intestinal adaptation is a spontaneous compensation of the remanent bowel after extensive enterectomy, which improves the absorption capacity of the remanent bowel to energy, fluid and other nutrients. Intestinal adaptation mainly occurs within 2 years after enterectomy, including morphological changes, hyperfunction and hyperphagia. Intestinal adaptation is the key factor for patients with short bowel syndrome to weaning off parenteral nutrition dependence and mainly influenced by length of remanent bowel, type of surgery and colon continuity. In addition, multiple factors including enteral feeding, glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2), growth hormone, gut microbiota and its metabolites regulate intestinal adaptation via multi-biological pathways, such as proliferation and differentiation of stem cell, apoptosis, angiogenesis, nutrients transport related protein expression, gut endocrine etc. Phase III clinical trials have verified the safety and efficacy of teduglutide (long-acting GLP-2) and somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone) in improving intestinal adaptation, and both have been approved for clinical use. We aim to review the current knowledge about characteristics, mechanism, evaluation methods, key factors, clinical strategies of intestinal adaptation.
Humans
;
Adaptation, Physiological
;
Glucagon-Like Peptide 2/therapeutic use*
;
Intestines/surgery*
;
Parenteral Nutrition
;
Short Bowel Syndrome/surgery*
7.Interaction between abnormal expression of fragile histidine triad and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 on cervical cancerization.
Q YANG ; Y LI ; L WANG ; Z C SONG ; M J FENG ; L DING ; J T WANG
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2018;39(5):689-693
Objective: To explore the relationship between abnormal expression of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) as well as their interaction on cervical cancerization. Methods: A total of 73 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 113 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN Ⅰ, n=45; CINⅡ/Ⅲ, n=68) and 60 women with normal cervix (NC) were included in the study. Real time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the expression levels of mRNA and protein about FHIT and MeCP2, respectively. The methylation status of FHIT gene CpG island was tested by methylation-specifc PCR (MSP). Kruskal-Wallis H test, χ(2) test, trend χ(2) test and Spearman correlation analysis were conducted with software SPSS 20.0. The interaction was evaluated by generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) model. Results: With the deterioration of cervical lesion, the methylation rates of FHIT gene CpG island (χ(2)=18.64, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=18.08, P<0.001) increased gradually, while the expression levels of FHIT mRNA (H=27.32, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=12.65, P<0.001) and protein (H=47.10, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=29.79, P<0.001) decreased gradually. There was a negative correlation between the methylation rates of FHIT gene CpG island and the expression level of FHIT protein (r=-0.226, P<0.001). The levels of MeCP2 mRNA (H=26.19, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=11.81, P=0.001) and protein (H=69.02, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=47.44, P<0.001) increased gradually with the aggravation of cervical lesions. There was a positive correlation between the expression level of MeCP2 protein and the FHIT mRNA Ct ratio (r=0.254, P<0.001). Expression of proteins were negatively correlated between MeCP2 and FHIT (r=-0.213, P=0.001). The results analyzed by GMDR model showed that there were interactions among high MeCP2 protein expression, the CpG island methylation of FHIT and mRNA and protein expression in CINⅡ/Ⅲ group, and among high MeCP2 mRNA and protein expression, the CpG island methylation of FHIT and low mRNA and protein expression in SCC group. Conclusion: High expression of MeCP2 mRNA and protein, the CpG island methylation and low mRNA and protein expression of FHIT could increase the risk of cervical carcinogenesis, and there might be a synergistic effect on cervical carcinogenesis.
Acid Anhydride Hydrolases/metabolism*
;
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology*
;
DNA Methylation
;
Female
;
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
;
Humans
;
Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2/metabolism*
;
Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism*
;
Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods*
;
RNA, Messenger
;
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Uterine Cervical Dysplasia/pathology*
8.Tracking oseltamivir-resistance in New Zealand influenza viruses during a medicine reclassification in 2007, a resistant-virus importation in 2008 and the 2009 pandemic
Richard J Hall ; Matthew Peacey ; Jacqui C Ralston ; Danielle J de Joux ; Judy Bocacao ; Mackenzie Nicol ; Molly Ziki ; Wendy Gunn ; Jing Wang ; Q Sue Huang
Western Pacific Surveillance and Response 2012;3(4):71-77
9.Protein kinase D3 is involved in negative regulation of MMP-7 in prostate cancer cells.
Zhi-peng ZOU ; Li FENG ; Wan-fu XU ; Zhi-yong KE ; Q Jane WANG ; Fan DENG
Journal of Southern Medical University 2010;30(8):1767-1770
OBJECTIVETo explore the role of protein kinase D3 (PKD3) in the regulation of matrix metalloproteinases 7 (MMP-7) expression in prostate cancer cells.
METHODSPC-3 cells were either stimulated with 100 nmol/L PMA to activate PKD3 kinase activity, or transiently transfected with PKD3 siRNA, and the relative expression level of MMP-7 mRNA were analyzed by real-time PCR using 2(-delta delta Ct) method. MMP-7 mRNA levels were also analyzed and quantified in HEK293 cells with over-expression of wild-type PKD3, PKD3 knockdown (using PKD3 siRNA), or over-expression of wild-type PKD3 followed by PKD3 knockdown.
RESULTSMMP-7 mRNA expression in PC3 cells was significantly decreased after PMA-induced PKD3 kinase activation. In contrast, PKD3 knockdown by siRNA transfection markedly increased MMP-7 mRNA level (P<0.01). MMP-7 mRNA level in HEK293 cells was significantly decreased by PKD3 over-expression, whereas obviously increased by PKD3 knockdown. Down-regulation of MMP-7 mRNA level in HEK293 induced by PKD3 over-expression was rescued by PKD3 knockdown.
CONCLUSIONPKD3 may contribute to the malignant progression of prostate cancer cells through negative regulation of MMP-7 expression.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Down-Regulation ; Gene Knockdown Techniques ; Humans ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Protein Kinase C ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction
10.Adult neural stem/progenitor cells in neurodegenerative repair.
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2003;55(3):233-244
Although the mammalian brain has long been thought to be entirely postmitotic, the recent discovery has confirmed an existence of neural stem or progenitor cells in various regions of the adult mammalian brain. Like embryonic stem cells, adult neural progenitor cells possess the capacity of self-renewal and differentiation potential for neurogenesis or gliogenesis. In addition to the subventricular zone and hippocampus where active cell division naturally occurs, adult neural progenitors with neurogenic potential exist in the striatum and the vicinity of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Normally, progenitors in those regions proliferate at a low level, and most proliferated cells remain uncommitted. In response to the selective lesion of nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway by the neurotoxins, such as 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) or 6-hydroxydopamine, progenitors in the injured areas markedly increase their proliferation rate. Depending upon the magnitude and kinetics of the lesion, neurogenesis and gliogenesis were induced in the lesion sites at varying extents. A large number of growth and neurotrophic factors influence proliferation and/or differentiation of progenitor cells under normal and lesioned conditions. Some factors (epidermal and basic fibroblast growth factors and brain-derived neurotrophic factor) are facilitatory, while others (usually bone morphogenetic proteins) are inhibitory, for controlling division and fate of neuronal or glial progenitors. Expression of endogenous factors and their respective receptors in existing and newborn cells are also subject to be altered by the lesion. These genomic responses are considered to be important elements for the formation of a local molecular niche for a given phenotypic cell regeneration. Taken together, adult neural progenitor cells in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system have the ability to respond to the lesion to repopulate missing cells. The regenerative neuro- or gliogenesis in situ can, at least in part, endogenously compensate injured neural elements, and achieve a self-repair of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
Adult Stem Cells
;
physiology
;
Animals
;
Cell Differentiation
;
physiology
;
Corpus Striatum
;
pathology
;
physiopathology
;
Humans
;
Neurodegenerative Diseases
;
physiopathology
;
Neuronal Plasticity
;
physiology
;
Neurons
;
cytology
;
Parkinson Disease
;
physiopathology
;
Substantia Nigra
;
pathology
;
physiopathology