Objective To investigate the cell membrane-penetrating capacity of human cell-penetrating peptide hPP10 carrying human antioxidant protein Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase(Cu,Zn-SOD)and assess the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of these fusion proteins.Methods The fusion protein hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD was obtained by genetic engineering and identified by Western blotting.The membrane-penetrating ability of the fusion protein was evaluated by immunofluorescence assay,fluorescence colocalization assay and Western blotting,its SOD enzyme activity was detected using a commercial kit,and its effect on cell viability was assessed with MTT assay.In a HEK293 cell model of H2O2-induced oxidative stress,the effect of hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD on cell apoptosis was analyzed with flow cytometry and RT-qPCR,and its antioxidant effect was assessed using reactive oxygen species(ROS)assay;its anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated in mouse model of TPA-induced ear inflammation by detecting expression of the inflammatory factors using RT-qPCR,Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.Results The fusion protein hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD was successfully obtained.Immunofluorescence assay confirmed obvious membrane penetration of this fusion protein in HEK293 cells,localized both in the cell membrane and the cell nuclei after cell entry.hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD at the concentration of 5 μmol/L exhibited strong antioxidant activity with minimal impact on cell viability at the concentration up to 10 μmol/L.The fusion protein obviously inhibited apoptosis and decreased intracellular ROS level in the oxidative stress cell model and significantly reduced mRNA and protein expression of the inflammatory factors in the mouse model of ear inflammation.Conclusion The fusion protein hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD capable of penetrating the cell membrane possesses strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities with only minimal cytotoxicity,demonstrating the value of hPP10 as an efficient drug delivery vector and the potential of hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD in the development of skincare products

Objective To investigate the cell membrane-penetrating capacity of human cell-penetrating peptide hPP10 carrying human antioxidant protein Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase(Cu,Zn-SOD)and assess the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of these fusion proteins.Methods The fusion protein hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD was obtained by genetic engineering and identified by Western blotting.The membrane-penetrating ability of the fusion protein was evaluated by immunofluorescence assay,fluorescence colocalization assay and Western blotting,its SOD enzyme activity was detected using a commercial kit,and its effect on cell viability was assessed with MTT assay.In a HEK293 cell model of H2O2-induced oxidative stress,the effect of hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD on cell apoptosis was analyzed with flow cytometry and RT-qPCR,and its antioxidant effect was assessed using reactive oxygen species(ROS)assay;its anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated in mouse model of TPA-induced ear inflammation by detecting expression of the inflammatory factors using RT-qPCR,Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.Results The fusion protein hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD was successfully obtained.Immunofluorescence assay confirmed obvious membrane penetration of this fusion protein in HEK293 cells,localized both in the cell membrane and the cell nuclei after cell entry.hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD at the concentration of 5 μmol/L exhibited strong antioxidant activity with minimal impact on cell viability at the concentration up to 10 μmol/L.The fusion protein obviously inhibited apoptosis and decreased intracellular ROS level in the oxidative stress cell model and significantly reduced mRNA and protein expression of the inflammatory factors in the mouse model of ear inflammation.Conclusion The fusion protein hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD capable of penetrating the cell membrane possesses strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities with only minimal cytotoxicity,demonstrating the value of hPP10 as an efficient drug delivery vector and the potential of hPP10-Cu,Zn-SOD in the development of skincare products

Background and Objectives: Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) participate in vascular repair and predict cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between EPCs and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Methods: and Results: Patients (age 67±9.41 years) suffering from AAAs (aortic diameters 58.09±11.24 mm) were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients received endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Blood samples were taken preoperatively and 14 days after surgery from patients with aortic aneurysms. Samples were also obtained from age-matched control subjects. Circulating EPCs were defined as those cells that were double positive for CD34 and CD309. Rat models of AAA formation were generated by the peri-adventitial elastase application of either saline solution (control; n=10), or porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE; n=14). The aortas were analyzed using an ultrasonic video system and immunohistochemistry. The levels of CD34＋/CD309＋ cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell populations were measured by flow cytometry. The baseline numbers of circulating EPCs (CD34＋/CD309＋) in the peripheral blood were significantly smaller in AAA patients compared with control subjects. The number of EPCs doubled by the 14th day after EVAR. A total of 78.57% of rats in the PPE group (11/14) formed AAAs (dilation ratio ＞150%). The numbers of EPCs from defined AAA rats were significantly decreased compared with the control group. Conclusions EPC levels may be useful for monitoring abdominal aorta aneurysms and rise after EVAR in patients with aortic aneurysms, and might contribute to the rapid endothelialization of vessels.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, self-limiting, and medium-sized vasculitis, which has been the commonest cause of acquired heart disease in children in developed countries.Without timely diagnosis and treatment, up-to 25% of the affected children may develop coronary artery abnormalities (CAA). Due to the lack of the specific diagnostic method, KD is mainly diagnosed according to the clinical criteria.As a result, typical KD is recognized easily, but it is a big challenge to diagnose KD patients with incomplete or atypical symptoms.The pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) around the world makes the diagnosis of KD even more complex.In this review, hot issues in diagnosing KD were discussed according to the 2017 guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of KD recently published by the American Heart Association (AHA), expecting to provide help for diagnosis of KD children.

The dual luciferase reporter gene system provides sensitive readout, while it relies on a constitutively-expressed control gene for readout normalization. However, most standard control reporter genes are not constitutively expressed under all conditions. Here, we report an effective method to construct a control reporter plasmid for the dual luciferase reporter gene system that would be suitable for hormone research in silkworm cell lines. First, we modified BmVgP78M, a stably-expressed constitutive promoter in silkworm cells by mutating its hormone-related element. Then, we constructed the pRL-VgP78M control reporter plasmid by replacing the SV40 promoter and chimeric intron sequences in pRL-SV40 with the BmVgP78M sequence. Finally, we confirmed that the pRL-VgP78M control reporter plasmid could be stably expressed in silkworm cell lines via cell transfection experiments, and it was unresponsive to the induction of ecdysone, juvenile hormone, or their transcription factors. We thus obtained a control reporter plasmid pRL-VgP78M that could be expressed stably and moderately in silkworm cells. It can be readily used as the control reporter plasmid of the dual luciferase reporter gene system for hormone research in silkworm cell lines. It will also provide a reference for construction of control reporter plasmids of dual luciferase reporter gene systems that are adaptable to cell lines isolated from other species.

Objective To explore the effect of different concentrations of endothelin-1 (ET-1)on the en-dogenous nitric oxide (NO)and hydrogen sulfide (H2S)pathways of vascular smooth muscle cells (A7r5 cell lines)in rats.Methods A7r5 cell lines were divided into the control group and the experimental group.ET-1 at a concentra-tion of 10 -8-10 -6 mol/L was added into the experimental group,and as for the control group,the same volume of sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS)buffer solution was added.The content of NO and H2S in A7r5 cell lines was detected by fluorescent NO probe and H2S probe after ET-1 stimulation for 48 h,respectively.The content of NO in the supernatant was measured by NO assay kit at 48 h of the incubation.The content of H2S in the supernatant was measured by polarographic H2S sensor at 48 h of the incubation. The expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2),endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3),cystathionine -γ -lyase (CSE),cystathionine -β -synthase (CBS)and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)were detected by the Western blot method.Results The rela-tive fluorescence intensity of the content of NO in the A7r5 cell lines of ET-1 10 -8,10 -7 and 10 -6mol/L groups (0. 078 ± 0. 080,0.075 ± 0.002,0.056 ± 0.009)was markedly lower than that in the control group(0.094 ± 0. 061), and the differences were statistically significant(F＝15.248,P＜0.05);Compared with the control group[(2. 131 ± 0. 484)μmol/L],the content of NO in the supernatant of the experimental groups [(1.391 ± 0.134 )μmol/L, (1.219 ± 0. 280)μmol/L,(1.116 ± 0.181)μmol/L]was significantly decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(F＝20.833,P＜0.01);NOS2 protein expression(0.457 ± 0.097,0.462 ± 0.116,0.438 ± 0.180)was decreased markedly compared with that of the control group(0.721 ± 0.222),and the differences were statistically sig-nificant(F＝6.196,P＜0.01),but the expression of NOS3 showed no significant differences(F＝2.669,P＞0.05). The relative fluorescence intensity of the content of H2S in the A7r5 cell lines of ET-1 10 -8,10 -7 and 10 -6mol/L groups (0.063 ± 0.002,0.056 ± 0.008,0.042 ± 0.009)was markedly lower than that in the control group (0.082 ± 0. 006),and the differences were statistically significant(F ＝16.297,P＜0.01);Compared with the control group [(29.439 ±4.236)μmol/L],the content of H2S in the supernatant of the experimental groups [(17.516 ±5.144) μmol/L,(14.481 ± 4.885)μmol/L]was significantly decreased,and the differences were statistically significant (F＝12.518,P ＜0.01).CBS protein expression(0.359 ± 0.096,0.270 ± 0.038,0.174 ± 0.051)was decreased markedly compared with that of the control group(0.707 ± 0.107),and the differences were statistically significant (F＝20.833,P＜0.01),and the expression of CSE showed no significant differences(F＝0.708,P＞0.05).The data showed that PCNA protein expression in the 10 -7mol/L ET-1 group(0.686 ± 0.180)significantly increased com-pared with that of the control group(0.437 ± 0.191),and the difference was statistically significant (t＝ -2.840,P＜0.01).Conclusion ET-1 stimulation can lead to the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and down-regu-late its endogenous NO and H2S pathways.

Aminopeptidase N (APN) belonging to zinc-dependent metalloproteinase, not only catalyzes protein proteolytic process, but also is involved in the pathogenic process as the receptor of pathogenic toxin. In Bombyx mori, APN gene family consists of 16 members, of which BmAPN4 binds trypsin-activated parasporal crystal (PC) toxin isolated from Bacillus bombysepticus (Bb). In order to verify whether or not other APNs interact with PC toxin during the pathogenesis of Bb, we cloned BmAPN5, a member of aminopeptidase family, from the silkworm midgut. The full length of BmAPN5 is 3313 bp, encoding 953 amino acids, containing a zinc peptidase_M1 and ERAP1_C domains. A recombinant GST-BmAPN5 was purified by a prokaryotic expression system. Far-Western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation and ELISA. Binding saturation assays demonstrated that PC after activated by trypsin could be bound by BmAPN5. Additionally, cytotoxic activity of trypsin-activated PC in Sf9 cells transfected with BmAPN5 showed that cells exhibited dramatic cytological changes, including swelling and lysis, revealing BmAPN5 serves as a functional receptor that participates in Bb and PC pathogenicity. These provide some clues for further exploring the pathogenesis relationships of Bb and host.

Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) is a myocardial disease condition in which left ventricular dysfunction and cardiomegaly are induced or mediated by atrial or ventricular arrhythmias.The pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear.Early recognition of AIC and provision of prompt treatment with pharmacological or ablative techniques could result in symptom resolution and recovery of ventricular function.But,the long-term prognosis of these patients is not clear and needs further observation and research.

Objective To evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine on renal functions during the anesthesia of liver transplantation patients.Methods Forty patients (male 31 cases,female 9 cases, aged 40-60 years,ASA grade Ⅱ or Ⅲ)received liver transplantation were randomly divided into two groups(n =20):dexmedetomidine group (group D)and normal saline group (group C).Patients in the group D received a loading dose of dexmedetomidine (0.5 μg/kg within 10 min)and a continuous infusion of dexmedetomidine (0.4 μg·kg-1 ·h-1 )until the end of surgery,while patients in group C received saline.Central venous blood and urine were collected after induction of anesthesia (T1 ),the anhepatic phase of liver 30 min (T2 ),new liver stage 30 min (T3 ),new liver stage 6 h (T4 ),postop-erative 24 h (T5 )and postoperative 1 week (T6 )to detect the serum cystatin C,endogenous creati-nine clearance rate,blood urea nitrogen,blood creatinine,urinary NAG enzyme,urinary albumin, and red blood cells.The use of vasopressors and diuretics,blood loss,fluid,urine,and blood transfu-sion (including RBC,fresh frozen plasma,and platelets)were all recorded.Results Compared with T1 ,serum cystatin C,blood urea nitrogen,serum creatinine of group D increased significantly and en-dogenous creatinine clearance rate reduced significantly at T3 ,T4 (P < 0.05 ).Microalbuminuria in-creased at T3-T5 (P <0.05).Serum cystatin C,blood urea nitrogen,serum creatinine of group C in-creased significantly and endogenous creatinine clearance rate reduced significantly(P < 0.05 ).Com-pared with group C,serum cystatin C,blood urea nitrogen,serum creatinine of group D reduced signif-icantly at T3-T5 and endogenous creatinine clearance rate increased(P <0.05).Microalbuminuria re-duced significantly at T4 ,T5 (P <0.05 ).Perioperative use of diuretics in group D patients was less than that in group C,but the use of vasopressors in group D patients was more than that in group C (P <0.05).Urine volume in group D was more than that in group C (P < 0.05 ).There was no difference in perioperative blood loss, fluid, and blood transfusion between two groups. Conclusion Perioperative continuous infusion of dexmedetomidine might effectively alleviate acute kidney injury during operation and decrease the use of diuretics.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect and the prospect of Infliximab in treatment of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-resistant Kawasaki disease (KD) patients.Methods Clinical features,inflammatory markers and coronary changes were observed in 2 cases of IVIG-resistant KD patients hospitalized in Peking University First Hospital,who were treated effectively by Infliximab.Relevant researches on the mechanism and progress of the Infliximab treatment for IVIG-resistant KD in the last 10 years were reviewed at the same time.Results Two KD patients hospitalized in Peking University First Hospital had been treated with 2 g/kg IVIG for 2 times and followed by methylprednisolone treatment.However,fever and other clinical manifestations occurred again after 2 days and 6 days when temperature returned normal.They both defervesced and all the symptoms were improved after 1 dose of Infliximab (5 mg/kg) by laboratory examinations.Four published literatures of the basic research and 9 retrospective or prospective clinical researches of Infliximab treatment of KD showed that Infliximab alleviated the inflammatory level in the KD patients significantly.Complete remission was up to 72.73％-92.11％.Those KD patients defervesced within 12 h,with dramatic improvement of symptoms and signs.Arthralgia also disappeared in the patients with arthritis.Only 1 case was complicated with hepatitis in the acute phase and cholecystitis in recovery time.A phase 3 randomised,double-blinded,placebo-controlled trial had been done to assess the addition of Infliximab to the standard therapy.Conclusions Infliximab is a feasible choice for IVIG-resistant KD patients.Efficacy and safety of Infliximab for KD treatment have been proved in the literature.However,Infliximab for KD treatment has not been indicated in the drug instruction,so the informed consent from the guardians and Ethics Committee is needed.