Objective:To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) agonist Roxadustat in alleviating pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in mice.Method:This study consisted of both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Thirty-six male C57/BL6 mice (6~8 weeks old) were used. In the animal experiments, 20 mice underwent left pulmonary artery ligation to establish the IRI model and were divided into reperfusion groups of 0, 1, 2, or 4 hours (IR-0/1/2/4 h, n=4 each), with a sham group ( n=4) as control. Temporal and spatial changes in pulmonary HIF-1α expression were analyzed. Another 16 mice were randomized into four groups: sham ( n=4), I/R+vehicle (DMSO, n=4), and I/R+Roxadustat treatment at 25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg (I/R+ROX-LD, I/R+ROX-HD, n=4 each). Roxadustat or DMSO was administered intraperitoneally once daily for 5 days before surgery. Lung injury, inflammation, and endothelial apoptosis were subsequently assessed. In the cell experiments, human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) was subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) to determine the time course of HIF-1α expression. Cells pretreated with Roxadustat (25 μmol) were then exposed to H/R, and HIF-1α expression and apoptosis were analyzed. To verify the role of HIF-1α, siRNA knockdown of HIF-1α mRNA was performed before Roxadustat pretreatment and H/R exposure. Result:In vivo, pulmonary HIF-1α mRNA expression increased progressively after reperfusion, while protein expression peaked early and subsequently declined ( P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining revealed HIF-1α predominantly localized to pulmonary endothelial cells following I/R. Compared with the I/R+DMSO group, Roxadustat (both doses) upregulated HIF-1α expression in lung tissue. In vitro, HIF-1α mRNA expression increased continuously after H/R, while protein levels first rose and then decreased ( P<0.05). Roxadustat pretreatment upregulated Bcl-2 and downregulated Bax and cleaved caspase-3 compared with the H/R group ( P<0.05). HIF-1α knockdown reversed these effects, resulting in decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bax and cleaved caspase-3 expression relative to the Roxadustat-treated group. Conclusion:The HIF-1α agonist Roxadustat inhibits vascular endothelial apoptosis, alleviates endothelial injury, reduces inflammatory cell infiltration in lung tissue, and lowers inflammatory responses in mice with pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Objective:To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) agonist Roxadustat in alleviating pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in mice.Method:This study consisted of both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Thirty-six male C57/BL6 mice (6~8 weeks old) were used. In the animal experiments, 20 mice underwent left pulmonary artery ligation to establish the IRI model and were divided into reperfusion groups of 0, 1, 2, or 4 hours (IR-0/1/2/4 h, n=4 each), with a sham group ( n=4) as control. Temporal and spatial changes in pulmonary HIF-1α expression were analyzed. Another 16 mice were randomized into four groups: sham ( n=4), I/R+vehicle (DMSO, n=4), and I/R+Roxadustat treatment at 25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg (I/R+ROX-LD, I/R+ROX-HD, n=4 each). Roxadustat or DMSO was administered intraperitoneally once daily for 5 days before surgery. Lung injury, inflammation, and endothelial apoptosis were subsequently assessed. In the cell experiments, human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) was subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) to determine the time course of HIF-1α expression. Cells pretreated with Roxadustat (25 μmol) were then exposed to H/R, and HIF-1α expression and apoptosis were analyzed. To verify the role of HIF-1α, siRNA knockdown of HIF-1α mRNA was performed before Roxadustat pretreatment and H/R exposure. Result:In vivo, pulmonary HIF-1α mRNA expression increased progressively after reperfusion, while protein expression peaked early and subsequently declined ( P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining revealed HIF-1α predominantly localized to pulmonary endothelial cells following I/R. Compared with the I/R+DMSO group, Roxadustat (both doses) upregulated HIF-1α expression in lung tissue. In vitro, HIF-1α mRNA expression increased continuously after H/R, while protein levels first rose and then decreased ( P<0.05). Roxadustat pretreatment upregulated Bcl-2 and downregulated Bax and cleaved caspase-3 compared with the H/R group ( P<0.05). HIF-1α knockdown reversed these effects, resulting in decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bax and cleaved caspase-3 expression relative to the Roxadustat-treated group. Conclusion:The HIF-1α agonist Roxadustat inhibits vascular endothelial apoptosis, alleviates endothelial injury, reduces inflammatory cell infiltration in lung tissue, and lowers inflammatory responses in mice with pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Objective To investigate the changes of serum cardiac-specific troponin I (cTnI) level in patients after lung transplantation. Methods Clinical data of patients undergoing lung transplantation in our hospital from December 2016 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between postoperative serum cTnI level and clinical characteristics were explored. Results Finally 20 patients were collected, including 15 males and 5 females with an average age of (51.65±12.79) years. The serum cTnI level was significantly increased after lung transplantation. The serum cTnI reached the highest level on the first day after transplantation, and significantly decreased from the third day after transplantation. The serum cTnI levels in patients with obstructive pulmonary disease and bilateral lung transplantation were significantly higher than those in patients with restrictive pulmonary disease and unilateral lung transplantation on the day after surgery and on the first day after transplantation. Conclusion Transient myocardial injury can occur after lung transplantation, which is characterized by an abnormal increase in serum cTnI level.

Since December 2019, a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia (COVID-19) outbreak has occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, and the epidemic situation has continued to spread. Such cases have also been found in other parts of the country. The spread of the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic has brought great challenges to the clinical practice of thoracic surgery. Outpatient clinics need to strengthen the differential diagnosis of ground glass opacity and pulmonary plaque shadows. During the epidemic, surgical indications are strictly controlled, and selective surgery is postponed. Patients planning to undergo a limited period of surgery should be quarantined for 2 weeks and have a nucleic acid test when necessary before surgery. For patients who are planning to undergo emergency surgery, nucleic acid testing should be carried out before surgery, and three-level protection should be performed during surgery. Patients who are planning to undergo emergency surgery in the epidemic area should be confirmed with or without novel coronavirus pneumonia before operation, and perform nucleic acid test if necessary. Surgical disinfection and isolation measures should be strictly carried out. Among postoperative patients, cases with new coronavirus infection were actively investigated. For the rescue of patients with novel coronavirus infection, attention needs to be paid to prevention and treatment and related complications, including mechanical ventilation-related pneumothorax or mediastinal emphysema, and injury after tracheal intubation.

Dermonecrotic toxin (DNT) is identified as one of the most important virulence factor of Bordetella bronchiseptica. The complete coding sequence (4 356 bp) of the dnt gene was cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a, and expressed in the Eschierichia coli BL21 (DE3) under IPTG (Isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside) induction. The recombinant His6-DNT protein showed immunological reactivity in the Western-blot analysis. The recombinant protein was purified from crude lysates of BL21 harboring pET-DNT with the purity of 93.2%. His6-DNT showed the dermonecrotic effects in the infant mouse assay. However, rabbit anti-serum against recombinant DNT protein could neutralize the dermonecrotic effects of native DNT to the infant mice in vivo. These findings suggest that the recombinant DNT protein retained the characteristics and immunogenicity of native DNT. Furthermore, this approach could be used to induce active immunity and serum immunoglobulin for production of a passive therapeutic reagent. In this study, we have shown that the recombinant His6-DNT protein retained the characteristics of native DNT of B. bronchiseptica, which built a good foundation for the further research on the structure and function of DNT.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Bordetella bronchiseptica ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Mice ; Neutralization Tests ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Transglutaminases ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Virulence Factors, Bordetella ; biosynthesis ; genetics

In order to research immunogenicity of the recombinant rVP2-IL-2 fusion protein, we obtained the rVP2-IL-2 fusion protein using Pichia pastoris expression system, and then evaluated its potential to induce immune responses in chicken. The effect was determined in the form of protective anti-IBDV VP2 titers, antibodies (IgG1 and IgG2a), lymphocyte proliferation, the levels of interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 cytokines, and challenge experiment. Antibody titers and proliferation lymphocyte level suggested that the fusion protein could elicit specific humoral immune and cellular immune responses, antibody sub-type results indicated that the rVP2-IL-2 fusion protein induced secretion both of IgG1 and IgG2a. The seem result elicited from cytokines ELISA test, secretion of both of Th1 (gamma-IFN) and Th2 (IL-4) were induced by the rVP2-IL-2 fusion protein. Challenge experiment result shown that chicken immunized the rVP2-IL-2 fusion protein obtained 85% protection. These results confirm that the fusion protein enhances the protection against IBDV through both humoral and cell-mediated immunity, and thus could serve as a candidate for the development of IBDV subunit vaccine.
Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; biosynthesis ; blood ; Chickens ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Pichia ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Th1 Cells ; immunology ; Th2 Cells ; immunology ; Vaccines, Subunit ; immunology ; Viral Structural Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Viral Vaccines ; immunology