Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) are sight-threatening maculopathies with both environmental and genetic risk factors. We have previously Show more
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) are sight-threatening maculopathies with both environmental and genetic risk factors. We have previously shown relative risks posed by genes of the complement pathways to neovascular AMD and PCV. In this study, we investigated the haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the The results revealed none of the six tagging SNPs of the This study showed no statistical significance in the genetic association of Show less
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA), is acquired by dietary intake or the The tissue DHA concentrations and mRNA levels of genes participating in DHA bios Show more
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA), is acquired by dietary intake or the The tissue DHA concentrations and mRNA levels of genes participating in DHA biosynthesis were compared among PPARα homozygous (KO), heterozygous (HZ), and wild type (WT) mice (Exp I), and between WT mice treated with clofibrate (PPARα agonist) or those not treated (Exp II). In ExpII, the expression levels of the proteins associated with DHA function in the brain cortex and retina were also measured. An n3-PUFA depleted/replenished regimen was applied to mitigate the confounding effects of maternal DHA. PPARα ablation reduced the hepatic LCPUFA enzyme expression was altered by PPARα. Either PPARα deficiency or activation-decreased tissue DHA concentration is a stimulus for further studies to determine the functional significance. Show less
Although hundreds of genome-wide association studies-implicated loci have been reported for adult obesity-related traits, less is known about the genetics specific for early-onset obesity and with onl Show more
Although hundreds of genome-wide association studies-implicated loci have been reported for adult obesity-related traits, less is known about the genetics specific for early-onset obesity and with only a few studies conducted in non-European populations to date. Searching for additional genetic variants associated with childhood obesity, we performed a trans-ancestral meta-analysis of 30 studies consisting of up to 13 005 cases (≥95th percentile of body mass index (BMI) achieved 2-18 years old) and 15 599 controls (consistently <50th percentile of BMI) of European, African, North/South American and East Asian ancestry. Suggestive loci were taken forward for replication in a sample of 1888 cases and 4689 controls from seven cohorts of European and North/South American ancestry. In addition to observing 18 previously implicated BMI or obesity loci, for both early and late onset, we uncovered one completely novel locus in this trans-ancestral analysis (nearest gene, METTL15). The variant was nominally associated with only the European subgroup analysis but had a consistent direction of effect in other ethnicities. We then utilized trans-ancestral Bayesian analysis to narrow down the location of the probable causal variant at each genome-wide significant signal. Of all the fine-mapped loci, we were able to narrow down the causative variant at four known loci to fewer than 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (FAIM2, GNPDA2, MC4R and SEC16B loci). In conclusion, an ethnically diverse setting has enabled us to both identify an additional pediatric obesity locus and further fine-map existing loci. Show less
Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) leads to a high death rate in patients and is a major threat to human health. NSCLC induces an immune suppressive microenvironment and escapes from immune s Show more
Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) leads to a high death rate in patients and is a major threat to human health. NSCLC induces an immune suppressive microenvironment and escapes from immune surveillance Show less
Jin-Juan Liu, Hong-Fa Yang, Yong-Jian Li+1 more · 2019 · Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · added 2026-04-24
To investigate the expression of β-catenin in the skin lesions of patients with systemic scleroderma (SSc) and its effect on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human epidermal keratinocytes. T Show more
To investigate the expression of β-catenin in the skin lesions of patients with systemic scleroderma (SSc) and its effect on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human epidermal keratinocytes. The expression of β-catenin, Snail1 and E-cadherin in the skin lesions sample of 45 SSc patients and normal skin sample from 20 healthy adults was detected with SP immunohistochemistry. HaCaT, the human epidermal keratinocytes, were treated with different concentrations of Wnt10b (0 ng/mL (control), 2 ng/mL and 4 ng/mL) for 48 h. then detected the localization of β-catenin in HaCaT cells by immunofluorescence assay, determined the mRNA levels of Snail1 and Snail2 in HaCaT cells by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, detected the proteins expression of β-catenin, Vimentin, N-cadherin and E-cadherin in HaCaT cells by Western blot. The positive rates of β-catenin, Snail1 and E-cadherin in skin lesions of SSc patients were 100%, 88.89% and 2.22% respectively, while in healthy adult skin, the corresponding positive rates were 0%, 10.00%, and 95.00%. The difference between the two groups was significant. Compared with control group, treatment with different concentrations of Wnt10b (2 ng/mL and 4 ng/mL) induced up-regulation of β-catenin expression and promoted translocation of β-catenin from cytoplasm to nucleus, increased the mRNA levels of Snail1 and Snail2 ( Abnormally activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and abnormally expressed EMT-related proteins are observed in SSc lesions. Activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may promote EMT in HaCaT cells. Show less
Anacetrapib is an inhibitor of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) previously under development as a lipid-modifying agent that reduces LDL-cholesterol and increases HDL-cholesterol in hyperchol Show more
Anacetrapib is an inhibitor of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) previously under development as a lipid-modifying agent that reduces LDL-cholesterol and increases HDL-cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic patients. Anacetrapib demonstrates a long terminal half-life and accumulates in adipose tissue, which contributes to a long residence time of anacetrapib. Given our previous report that anacetrapib distributes into the lipid droplet of adipose tissue, we sought to understand whether anacetrapib affected adipose function, using a diet-induced obese (DIO) mouse model. Following 20 weeks of treatment with anacetrapib (100 mg/kg/day), levels of the drug increased to approximately 0.6 mmol/L in white adipose tissue. This level of anacetrapib was not associated with any impairment in adipose functionality as evidenced by a lack of any reduction in biomarkers of adipose functionality (plasma adiponectin, leptin, insulin; adipose adiponectin, leptin mRNA). In DIO wild-type (WT) mice treated with anacetrapib for 2 weeks and then subjected to 30% food restriction during washout to induce weight loss (18%) and fat mass loss (7%), levels of anacetrapib in adipose and plasma were not different between food restricted and ad lib-fed mice. These data indicate that despite deposition and long-term residence of ~0.6 mmol/L levels of anacetrapib in adipose tissue, adipose tissue function appears to be unaffected in mice. In addition, these data also indicate that even with severe caloric restriction and acute loss of fat mass, anacetrapib does not appear to be mobilized from the fat depot, thereby solidifying the role of adipose as a long-term storage site of anacetrapib. Show less
The current study reports a new, simple and fast method using a flake-like dysprosium molybdate (Dy2MoO6; FL-DyM) nanostructured material to detect the antibiotic drug metronidazole (METZ). This nanoc Show more
The current study reports a new, simple and fast method using a flake-like dysprosium molybdate (Dy2MoO6; FL-DyM) nanostructured material to detect the antibiotic drug metronidazole (METZ). This nanocomposite material was employed on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to develop the electrode (FL-DyM/GCE). Further, the synthesized FL-DyM was systematically characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDS), elemental mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyses. Cyclic (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques were used to study the electrochemical properties. The FL-DyM/GCE-based sensor demonstrated excellent selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of the drug METZ, which could be attributed to the strong affinity of FL-DyM towards the -NO2 group in METZ, and the good electrocatalytic activity and conductivity of FL-DyM. The fabrication and optimization of the working electrode were accomplished with CV and DPV obtained by scan rate and pH studies. Compared to the bare GCE and other rare-earth metal molybdates, the FL-DyM/GCE sensor displayed a superior electrocatalytic activity response for METZ detection. The sensor demonstrated a good linear relationship over the concentration range of 0.01-2363 μM. The quantification and detection limits were found to be 0.010 μM and 0.0030 μM, respectively. The FL-DyM/GCE sensor displayed excellent selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility, and stability for the detection of METZ in human urine and commercial METZ tablet samples, which validates the new technique for efficient drug sensing in practical applications. Show less
Recent studies implicate a strong association between elevated plasma branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and insulin resistance (IR). However, a causal relationship and whether interrupted BCAA homeos Show more
Recent studies implicate a strong association between elevated plasma branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and insulin resistance (IR). However, a causal relationship and whether interrupted BCAA homeostasis can serve as a therapeutic target for diabetes remain to be established experimentally. In this study, unbiased integrative pathway analyses identified a unique genetic link between obesity-associated IR and BCAA catabolic gene expression at the pathway level in human and mouse populations. In genetically obese ( Show less
The aberrant expression of ceroid-lipofuscinosis 3 (CLN3) has been reported in a variety of human malignancies. However, the role of CLN3 in the progression and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma ( Show more
The aberrant expression of ceroid-lipofuscinosis 3 (CLN3) has been reported in a variety of human malignancies. However, the role of CLN3 in the progression and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. In this study, we found that CLN3 was frequently upregulated in HCC clinical samples and HCC-derived cell lines and was significantly correlated with an APF serum level ≥20 μg/L, a tumour size ≥5 cm, multiple tumours, and the absence of encapsulation. Kaplan-Meier showed that CLN3 upregulation predicted shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) time in HCC patients. Cox regression analysis revealed that CLN3 upregulation was an independent risk factor for RFS and OS. A functional study demonstrated that the knockdown of CLN3 expression profoundly suppressed the growth and metastasis of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic investigation revealed that the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway was essential for mediating CLN3 function. In conclusion, our results provide the first evidence that CLN3 contributes to tumour progression and metastasis and offer a potential prognostic predictor and therapeutic target for HCC. Show less
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling of the precapillary pulmonary arteries, with excessive proliferation of vascular cells. This study was performed Show more
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling of the precapillary pulmonary arteries, with excessive proliferation of vascular cells. This study was performed to examine the effects of long noncoding RNA CPS1 intronic transcript 1 (CPS1-IT) on PAH in rat models of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) through regulating interleukin (IL)-1β expression. The OSA models were induced in rats, for determination of the CPS1-IT expression. The binding of CPS1-IT and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) was verified. To analyze the effects of CPS1-IT on PAH, the overexpression vector of CPS1-IT and HIF1, shRNA against IL-1β and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC, inhibitor of the NF-κB signaling pathway) were injected into rat models, respectively. The blood pressure and activity of biochemical indicators including nitric oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lipid peroxide (LPO) were assessed. The expression of IL-1β, HIF1, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and fibronectin (FN) was determined. The relationship of CPS1-IT to IL-1β and NF-κB was evaluated. CPS1-IT was downregulated in the OSA rat model. Overexpressed CPS1-IT increased the activity of NO, NOS, and SOD as well as α-SMA expression, whereas decreasing LPO activity and expression of PCNA and FN, whereby PAH was suppressed. Notably, overexpressed CPS1-IT reduced IL-1β expression through NF-κB signaling pathway via inhibiting the HIF1 transcriptional activity, suggesting a mechanism affecting PAH. To conclude, overexpressed CPS1-IT alleviated PAH in OSA by reducing IL-1β expression, the mechanism of which was involved with inhibited HIF1 transcriptional activity and the NF-κB signaling pathway. Show less
A history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been related to an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes. The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) genotype has been related to glycemic changes in women with Show more
A history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been related to an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes. The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) genotype has been related to glycemic changes in women with prior GDM. The objective of this study was to analyze whether lifestyle intervention modified the association between the MC4R genotype and changes in insulin sensitivity among women with prior GDM. We genotyped MC4R rs6567160 and measured glucose and insulin in fasting plasma samples at baseline and during the first 2 follow-up visits in 1128 women with prior GDM. They were randomly assigned to either a 4-y lifestyle intervention involving both diet and physical activity or a control group from a randomized clinical trial, the Tianjin Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Prevention Program. We analyzed the interaction between the MC4R genotype and lifestyle intervention on changes in insulin resistance. From baseline to 1.28 y, the MC4R genotype was related to changes in fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and homeostasis model assessment of β cell function (HOMA-B) in the intervention group. Each risk allele (C) of rs6567160 was associated with a 0.08-unit greater decrease in log(insulin), log(HOMA-IR), and log(HOMA-B) (P = 0.02, 0.04, and 0.04, respectively), whereas in the control group, each C allele tended to be associated with a greater increase in HOMA-IR (P = 0.09). We found significant interactions between the MC4R genotype and lifestyle intervention on 1.28-y changes in fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (P = 0.006 and 0.008, respectively), and such interaction remained significant when we analyzed the trajectory of changes in insulin and HOMA-IR from baseline to 2.55 y (both P = 0.03). The exploratory results from the first 2 follow-up visits indicate that women with prior GDM carrying a diabetes-increasing MC4R genotype (CC or TC) may obtain better improvement than the TT genotype in insulin resistance through lifestyle intervention. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01554358. Show less
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a severe clinical problem among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients. The genetic pathogenesis of PPHN is unclear. Only a few genetic Show more
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a severe clinical problem among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients. The genetic pathogenesis of PPHN is unclear. Only a few genetic polymorphisms have been identified in infants with PPHN. Our study aimed to investigate the potential genetic etiology of PPHN. This study recruited PPHN patients admitted to the NICU of the Children's Hospital of Fudan University from Jan 2016 to Dec 2017. Exome sequencing was performed for all patients. Variants in reported PPHN/pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-related genes were assessed. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association and gene-level analyses were carried out in 74 PPHN cases and 115 non-PPHN controls with matched baseline characteristics. Among the patient cohort, 74 (64.3%) patients were late preterm and term infants (≥ 34 weeks gestation) and 41 (35.7%) were preterm infants (< 34 weeks gestation). Preterm infants with PPHN exhibited low birth weight and a high frequency of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and mortality. Nine patients (only one preterm infant) were identified as harboring genetic variants, including three with pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in TBX4 and BMPR2 and six with variants of unknown significance in BMPR2, SMAD9, TGFB1, KCNA5 and TRPC6. Three SNPs (rs192759073, rs1047883 and rs2229589) in CPS1 and one SNP (rs1044008) in NOTCH3 were significantly associated with PPHN (p < 0.05). CPS1 and SMAD9 were identified as risk genes for PPHN (p < 0.05). In this study, we identified genetic variants in PPHN patients, and we reported CPS1, NOTCH3 and SMAD9 as risk genes for late preterm and term PPHN in a single-center Chinese cohort. Our findings provide additional genetic evidence of the pathogenesis of PPHN and new insight into potential strategies for disease treatment. Show less
To examine the epidemiology of β-lactam resistance in 'clonal group 258' (CG258), a successful KPC clonal group, over 14 years. Isolates were collected from 1999 to 2013 for a study of antibiotic resi Show more
To examine the epidemiology of β-lactam resistance in 'clonal group 258' (CG258), a successful KPC clonal group, over 14 years. Isolates were collected from 1999 to 2013 for a study of antibiotic resistance in Enterobacteriaceae in New York City; 515 bloodstream isolates had antibiotic susceptibility data available and 436 were available for a CG258 PCR assay. The 56 resulting CG258 isolates were characterized by MLST, capsular type and ESBL and KPC carriage. KPC-positive isolates were assessed for common KPC plasmid types, KPC subtype and Tn4401 isoform. RT-PCR revealed 56 isolates were CG258. Seventeen of the 56 CG258 isolates were phenotypically susceptible to all carbapenems (all KPC negative). Five out of 17 susceptible isolates were of the cps-2 (wzi154) capsule type; none was cps-1 (wzi29). Nineteen out of 28 KPC-2 isolates were cps-1 (wzi29) and 8/10 KPC-3 isolates carried cps-2 (wzi154); however, cps-2 (wzi154) predominated among KPC-2-positive isolates in 2003 and 2004. KPC-2 was first detected in 2003 and KPC-3 was first detected in 2006. KPC-harbouring plasmids pKpQIL (all Tn4401a) and pBK30683 (all Tn4401d) were detected in 16/38 and 6/38 carbapenem-resistant isolates, respectively. CG258-lineage Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were completely absent in 1999, but common in 2003. Twenty-one percent of CG258 isolates were susceptible to carbapenems in addition to lacking both common ESBL and blaKPC-mediated resistance. The cps-2 (wzi154) capsule type was common in both these susceptible isolates and in early KPC-2-harbouring isolates, suggesting it was the initial capsule type in CG258. Carbapenem-resistant isolates carried common KPC-harbouring plasmids with the same KPC and Tn4401 isoforms, suggesting frequent clonal spread. Show less
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are key regulators of signal transduction and cell responses. Abnormalities in MAPKs are associated with multiple diseases. Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUS Show more
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are key regulators of signal transduction and cell responses. Abnormalities in MAPKs are associated with multiple diseases. Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) dephosphorylate many key signaling molecules, including MAPKs, leading to the regulation of duration, magnitude, or spatiotemporal profiles of MAPK activities. Hence, DUSPs need to be properly controlled. Protein post-translational modifications, such as ubiquitination, phosphorylation, methylation, and acetylation, play important roles in the regulation of protein stability and activity. Ubiquitination is critical for controlling protein degradation, activation, and interaction. For DUSPs, ubiquitination induces degradation of eight DUSPs, namely, DUSP1, DUSP4, DUSP5, DUSP6, DUSP7, DUSP8, DUSP9, and DUSP16. In addition, protein stability of DUSP2 and DUSP10 is enhanced by phosphorylation. Methylation-induced ubiquitination of DUSP14 stimulates its phosphatase activity. In this review, we summarize the knowledge of the regulation of DUSP stability and ubiquitination through post-translational modifications. Show less
High fructose feeding changes fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) regulation. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) supplementation reduces fructose-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The a Show more
High fructose feeding changes fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) regulation. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) supplementation reduces fructose-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study was to determine the role of FGF21 and underlying mechanisms in the protective effects of LGG. FGF21 knockout (KO) mice and C57BL/6 wild type (WT) mice were fed 30% fructose for 12 weeks. LGG was administered to the mice in the last 4 weeks during fructose feeding. FGF21-adiponectin (ADPN)-mediated hepatic lipogenesis and inflammation were investigated. FGF21 expression was robustly increased after 5-weeks of feeding and significantly decreased after 12-weeks of feeding in fructose-induced NAFLD mice. LGG administration reversed the depressed FGF21 expression, increased adipose production of ADPN, and reduced hepatic fat accumulation and inflammation in the WT mice but not in the KO mice. Hepatic nuclear carbohydrate responsive-element binding protein (ChREBP) was increased by fructose and reduced by LGG, resulting in a reduction in the expression of lipogenic genes. The methylated form of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) C, which dephosphorylates and activates ChREBP, was upregulated by fructose and normalized by LGG. Leucine carboxyl methyltransferase-1, which methylates PP2AC, was also increased by fructose and decreased by LGG. However, those beneficial effects of LGG were blunted in the KO mice. Hepatic dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate, which inhibits PP2A, was markedly increased by LGG in the WT mice but attenuated in the KO mice. LGG decreased adipose hypertrophy and increased serum levels of ADPN, which regulates sphingosine metabolism. This beneficial effect was decreased in the KO mice. LGG administration increases hepatic FGF21 expression and serum ADPN concentration, resulting in a reduced ChREBP activation through dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate-mediated PP2A deactivation, and subsequently reversed fructose-induced NAFLD. Thus, our data suggest that FGF21 is required for the beneficial effects of LGG in reversal of fructose-induced NAFLD. Show less
Lead optimization of the diphenylpyridylethanamine (DPPE) and triphenylethanamine (TPE) series of CETP inhibitors to improve their pharmaceutical profile is described. Polar groups at the
Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-related syndrome characterized by hypertension and proteinuria after the 20 The expression level of MIR503HG in placental tissues, HTR-8/SVneo, and JEG3 cells was dete Show more
Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-related syndrome characterized by hypertension and proteinuria after the 20 The expression level of MIR503HG in placental tissues, HTR-8/SVneo, and JEG3 cells was determined by quantitative real-time PCR; western blot detected the relevant protein expression levels in HTR-8/SVneo and JEG3 cells; flow cytometry determined cell apoptosis and cell cycle of HTR-8/SVneo and JEG3 cells; trophoblast cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of HTR-8/SVneo and JEG3 cells were measured by CCK-8, transwell invasion, and wound healing assays, respectively. The highly expressed MIR503HG was detected in PE placental tissues compared to normal placental tissues. MIR503HG overexpression suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of HTR-8/SVneo and JEG3 cells, while knockdown of MIR503HG increased trophoblast cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Flow cytometry results showed that MIR503HG overexpression induced apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest at the G Our results showed that MIR503HG inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of HTR-8/SVneo and JEG3 cells, which may be related to the pathogenesis of PE. Show less
The interaction of adropin, glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP2), angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4), and with childhood obesity and glucose metabolism is inconsistent. This study is to evaluate the asso Show more
The interaction of adropin, glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP2), angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4), and with childhood obesity and glucose metabolism is inconsistent. This study is to evaluate the association of the three cytokines and glucose homeostasis. This was a cross-sectional study of children with obesity ranging from 5 to 14 years compared to age- and sex-matched children of normal weight. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), oral glucose tolerance test 2-hour plasma glucose (OGTT2hPG), and insulin (INS) were measured, and serum adropin, GLP2, and ANGPTL4 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The body mass index (BMI), BMI-Z scores, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were calculated. Thirty-nine children (9.70 ± 1.71 years, 18 females) with obesity and 29 normal weight children (8.98 ± 1.98 years, 16 females) were assessed. The levels of INS, HOMA-IR and GLP2 of the obesity group were significantly higher than the controls (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that serum GLP2 was positively associated with WHR, FPG, and OGTT2hPG, and adropin was negatively associated with BMI, BMI-Z, WHR, INS, and HOMA-IR (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, GLP2 were negatively associated with adropin and ANGPTL4 (both P < 0.05). By binary logistic regression, adropin and GLP2 were found to be independent markers of obesity. Multiple linear regression showed that GLP2 was associated with OGTT2hPG, and adropin was associated with INS and HOMA-IR (all P < 0.05). Obese children had elevated GLP2 concentrations, and adropin and GLP2 associated with both childhood obesity and glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, there may be a physiologic interplay between adropin and GLP2 in obese children. Show less
Alopecia or hair loss is a complex polygenetic and psychologically devastating disease affecting millions of men and women globally. Since the gene annotation and environmental knowledge is limited fo Show more
Alopecia or hair loss is a complex polygenetic and psychologically devastating disease affecting millions of men and women globally. Since the gene annotation and environmental knowledge is limited for alopecia, a systematic analysis for the identification of candidate biomarkers is required that could provide potential therapeutic targets for hair loss therapy. We designed an interactive framework to perform a meta-analytical study based on differential expression analysis, systems biology, and functional proteomic investigations. We analyzed eight publicly available microarray datasets and found 12 potential candidate biomarkers including three extracellular proteins from the list of differentially expressed genes with a Our integrative approach helps to prioritize the biomarkers that ultimately lessen the economic burden of experimental studies. It will also be valuable to discover mutants in genomic data in order to increase the identification of new biomarkers for similar problems. Show less
Family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A), as a potential tumor promoter, was reported to contribute to the progression of several malignant tumors. However, the significance of FAM83A in Show more
Family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A), as a potential tumor promoter, was reported to contribute to the progression of several malignant tumors. However, the significance of FAM83A in invasion and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that FAM83A expression was significantly increased in NSCLC tissues. High expression of FAM83A was positively associated with tumor metastasis and poor survival of NSCLC patients. Functional experiments revealed that FAM83A knockdown could suppress NSCLC cell migration and invasion both Show less
Growth and fat deposition are important economic traits due to the influence on production in pigs. In this study, a dataset of 1200 pigs with 345,570 SNPs genotyped by sequencing (GBS) was used to co Show more
Growth and fat deposition are important economic traits due to the influence on production in pigs. In this study, a dataset of 1200 pigs with 345,570 SNPs genotyped by sequencing (GBS) was used to conduct a GWAS with single-marker regression method to identify SNPs associated with body weight and backfat thickness (BFT) and to search for candidate genes in Landrace and Yorkshire pigs. A total of 27 and 13 significant SNPs were associated with body weight and BFT, respectively. In the region of 149.85-149.89 Mb on SSC6, the SNP (SSC6: 149876737) for body weight and the SNP (SSC6: 149876507) for BFT were in the same locus region (a gap of 230 bp). Two SNPs were located in the DOCK7 gene, which is a protein-coding gene that plays an important role in pigmentation. Two SNPs located on SSC8: 54567459 and SSC11: 33043081 were found to overlap weight and BFT; however, no candidate gene was found in these regions. In addition, based on other significant SNPs, two positional candidate genes, NSRP1 and CADPS, were proposed to influence weight. In conclusion, this is the first study report using GBS data to identify the significant SNPs for weight and BFT. A total of four particularly interesting SNPs and one potential candidate genes (DOCK7) were found for these traits in domestic pigs. This study improves our knowledge to better understand the complex genetic architecture of weight and BFT, but further validation studies of these candidate loci and genes are recommended in pigs. Show less
Sixuan Qu, Zhaoli Yang, Hongdi Tao+4 more · 2019 · Xi bao yu fen zi mian yi xue za zhi = Chinese journal of cellular and molecular immunology · added 2026-04-24
Objective To investigate the expression of semaphorin 6D (SEMA6D) and Snail and their clinicopathological implications in gastric cancer. Methods 54 cases of gastric cancer tissues and 26 paracancerou Show more
Objective To investigate the expression of semaphorin 6D (SEMA6D) and Snail and their clinicopathological implications in gastric cancer. Methods 54 cases of gastric cancer tissues and 26 paracancerous gastric mucosa were collected for detecting the expression of SEMA6D and Snail by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. The co-localization of SEMA6D and Snail was observed by immunofluorescence double staining and laser scanning confocal microscopy. The correlation between SEMA6D and Snail and their relationships with the clinicopathological features of the patients were analyzed. Results Compared with the paracancerous gastric mucosa, the protein expression of SEMA6D and Snail in the gastric cancer significantly increased, and there was a significant co-localization of SEMA6D and Snail in gastric cancer. Further statistical analysis showed that the expression of SEMA6D and Snail in gastric cancer was positively correlated with the degree of differentiation, invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Conclusion The high expression of SEMA6D and Snail in gastric cancer are related to the malignant clinicopathological indexes of gastric cancer. Show less
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of lysine deficiency or excess on growth and the expression of lipid metabolism genes in slow-growing birds. A total of 360 one-day-old chicks wer Show more
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of lysine deficiency or excess on growth and the expression of lipid metabolism genes in slow-growing birds. A total of 360 one-day-old chicks were randomly divided into 3 groups, with 6 replicates of 20 birds each. The birds fed the basal diet with a total lysine 0.60% (LL), 1.00% (ML), or 1.40% (HL). The amount of lysine (ML) as the control group, LL and HL as the experimental group, the trial period last 3 wk. The results showed that compared with ML, LL significantly decreased average daily gain and average daily feed intake and remarkably increased feed conversion ratio of birds at 21 day old (P < 0.01), while the above indices in HL had no significant effects (P > 0.05). Besides, LL reduced the pectoral muscle rate (P < 0.01) and decreased the percentage of abdominal fat significantly (P < 0.05). In addition, compared with ML, the expression of fatty acid binding protein 1 (FABP1), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), malic enzyme (ME), and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1c) mRNA of liver in LL was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the expression of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) mRNA was significantly increased (P < 0.01), whereas LL had no significant effects on the expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARα) mRNA (P > 0.05). Moreover, compared with ML, HL significantly reduced the expression of FABP1, ACC, ME, SREBP-1c, and PPARα mRNA in the liver (P < 0.05), and had no significant effects on the expression of CETP mRNA (P > 0.05). The results of current research suggest that dietary lysine deficiency could reduce the growth and fat deposition of slow-growing broilers mainly by downregulating the expression of lipid synthesis genes. Show less
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor-mediated induction of HDL-cholesterol has no effect on the protection from cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the mechanism is still unknown. Da Show more
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor-mediated induction of HDL-cholesterol has no effect on the protection from cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the mechanism is still unknown. Data on the effects of this class of drugs on subclasses of HDL are either limited or insufficient. In this study, we investigated the effect of evacetrapib, a CETP inhibitor, on subclasses of HDL in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Baseline and 3-month post-treatment samples from atorvastatin 40 mg plus evacetrapib 130 mg (n = 70) and atorvastatin 40 mg plus placebo (n = 30) arms were used for this purpose. Four subclasses of HDL (large HDL, medium HDL, small HDL, and preβ-1 HDL) were separated according to their size and quantified by densitometry using a recently developed native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) system. Relative to placebo, while evacetrapib treatment dramatically increased large HDL and medium HDL subclasses, it significantly reduced small HDL (27%) as well as preβ-1 HDL (36%) particles. Evacetrapib treatment reduced total LDL, but also resulted in polydisperse LDL with LDL particles larger and smaller than the LDL subclasses of the placebo group. Evacetrapib reduced preβ-1 HDL and small HDL in patients with ASCVD or diabetes on statin. Preβ-1 HDL and medium HDL are negatively interrelated. The results could give a clue to understand the effect of CETP inhibitors on cardiovascular outcomes. Show less
Epigenetic alternation is a common contributing factor to neoplastic transformation. Although previous studies have reported a cluster of aberrant promoter methylation changes associated with silencin Show more
Epigenetic alternation is a common contributing factor to neoplastic transformation. Although previous studies have reported a cluster of aberrant promoter methylation changes associated with silencing of tumor suppressor genes, little is known concerning their sequential DNA methylation changes during the carcinogenetic process. The aim of the present study was to address a genome-wide search for identifying potentially important methylated changes and investigate the onset and pattern of methylation changes during the progression of colorectal neoplasia. A three-phase design was employed in this study. In the screening phase, DNA methylation profile of 12 pairs of colorectal cancer (CRC) and adjacent normal tissues was analyzed by using the Illumina MethylationEPIC BeadChip. Significant CpG sites were selected based on a cross-validation analysis from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Methylation levels of candidate CpGs were assessed using pyrosequencing in the training dataset (tumor lesions and adjacent normal tissues from 46 CRCs) and the validation dataset (tumor lesions and paired normal tissues from 13 hyperplastic polyps, 129 adenomas, and 256 CRCs). A linear mixed-effects model was used to examine the incremental changes of DNA methylation during the progression of colorectal neoplasia. The comparisons between normal and tumor samples in the screening phase revealed an extensive CRC-specific methylomic pattern with 174,006 (21%) methylated CpG sites, of which 22,232 (13%) were hyermethylated and 151,774 (87%) were hypomethylated. Hypermethylation mostly occurred in CpG islands with an overlap of gene promoters, while hypomethylation tended to be mapped far away from functional regions. Further cross validation analysis from TCGA dataset confirmed 265 hypermethylated promoters coupling with downregulated gene expression. Among which, hypermethylated changes in MEEPD2 promoter was successfully replicated in both training and validation phase. Significant hypermethylation appeared since precursor lesions with an extensive modification in CRCs. The linear mixed-effects modeling analysis found that a cumulative pattern of MPPED2 methylation changes from normal mucosa to hyperplastic polyp to adenoma, and to carcinoma (P < 0.001). Our findings indicate that epigenetic alterations of MPPED2 promoter region appear sequentially during the colorectal neoplastic progression. It might be able to serve as a promising biomarker for early diagnosis and stage surveillance of colorectal tumorigenesis. Show less
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is the most powerful central neuropeptide implicated in feeding regulation via its receptors. Understanding the role of NPY system is critical to elucidate animal feeding regulati Show more
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is the most powerful central neuropeptide implicated in feeding regulation via its receptors. Understanding the role of NPY system is critical to elucidate animal feeding regulation. Unlike mammal, the possible mechanisms of NPY system in the food intake of teleost fish are mostly unknown. Therefore, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of NPY and NPY receptors in Siberian sturgeon. In this study, we cloned the cDNA encoding NPY, and assessed the effects of different energy status on npy mRNAs abundance. The expression of npy was decreased in the brain after feeding 1 and 3 h. Besides, the expression of npy was increased after fasting within 15 days, while exhibiting significant decrease after refeeding. In order to further characterize the role of NPY receptor in fish, we performed acute intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of NPY Y1 and Y2 receptor agonists, which is [Leu 31, Pro 34] NPY and NPY13-36 respectively. The results showed that the food intake of Siberian sturgeon was increased within 30 mins after injection of both Y1 and Y2 receptor agonist. To explore the relationship between NPY, NPY receptors and another appetite peptides, we examined the level of npy, cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (cart) and melanocortin-4 receptor (mc4r) by injected Y1 and Y2 receptor agonist. The results suggested that cart expression was regulated by NPY which acts on Y1 receptor or Y2 receptor. While mc4r expression just was mediated by NPY and Y1 receptor. Show less
Cardiac fibrosis is a final common pathology in inherited and acquired heart diseases that causes cardiac electrical and pump failure. Here, we use systems genetics to identify a pro-fibrotic gene net Show more
Cardiac fibrosis is a final common pathology in inherited and acquired heart diseases that causes cardiac electrical and pump failure. Here, we use systems genetics to identify a pro-fibrotic gene network in the diseased heart and show that this network is regulated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase WWP2, specifically by the WWP2-N terminal isoform. Importantly, the WWP2-regulated pro-fibrotic gene network is conserved across different cardiac diseases characterized by fibrosis: human and murine dilated cardiomyopathy and repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Transgenic mice lacking the N-terminal region of the WWP2 protein show improved cardiac function and reduced myocardial fibrosis in response to pressure overload or myocardial infarction. In primary cardiac fibroblasts, WWP2 positively regulates the expression of pro-fibrotic markers and extracellular matrix genes. TGFβ1 stimulation promotes nuclear translocation of the WWP2 isoforms containing the N-terminal region and their interaction with SMAD2. WWP2 mediates the TGFβ1-induced nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and transcriptional activity of SMAD2. Show less
To investigate the proteomic profiling in buffalo spermatozoa before and after capacitation, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) combined with Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) labeling st Show more
To investigate the proteomic profiling in buffalo spermatozoa before and after capacitation, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) combined with Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) labeling strategy was applied. As a result, 1461 proteins were identified, 93 of them were found to be differentially expressed (>1.5-fold), including 52 up-regulated proteins and 41 down-regulated proteins during sperm capacitation. 88 out of 93 proteins were annotated and classified. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that most of the differently expressed proteins (DEPs) were involved in the Biological Process of transport, cytoskeleton organization, sexual reproduction, and spermatogenesis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that DEPs were mainly involved in the pathways of metabolic pathways, PPAR signaling pathway, and oxidative phosphorylation. Western blot (WB) assay confirmed the expressional variation of VAMP4 and APOC3 proteins. Our date provided a foundation for studying the changes in protein expression during sperm capacitation, which contributing to identifying marker proteins that may be associated with sperm capacitation. Show less