👤 Riping Wu

To explore the potential correlation between apolipoprotein (Apo) levels and coronary atherosclerosis and investigate its predictive value for coronary artery lesions in asymptomatic population without diabetes. We performed a retrospective analysis of data collected from 401 asymptomatic patients who took health check-ups. They were divided into atherosclerosis group (n=224)and control group (n=177) based on the outcome of CT angiography and blood biochemical findings. The risk factors, lipid profiles, and Apo levels were compared between these two groups. The best biochemical indicators for predicting the coronary atherosclerosis were explored. The levels of ApoB, ApoC2,ApoC3,and ApoE and ApoB/ApoA1 ratio were significantly higher in the atherosclerosis group than in the control group (all P<0.01), whereas the ApoA1,ApoA2, and lipoprotein a levels showed no such significant difference (all P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, male, hypertension,ApoC3(OR=1.572,95%CI 1.200-2.061) and ApoB/ApoA1 ratio (OR=1.767,95% CI 1.335-2.338) were independently correlated with coronary atherosclerosis (all P<0.01). In the prediction of the presence of plaque, ApoB had the largest area under curves, and the optimal cutoff point was 1.005 g/L. ApoC3 is closely associated with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis,while the decrease of ApoA1 level is not obvious during this period. Compared with other lipid indicators, ApoB is the strongest predictor for coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic non-diabetic population. Show less

The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) family, including TIMP-2, regulates the activity of multifunctional metalloproteinases in pathogenesis of melanoma. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is constitutively activated and plays a critical role in melanoma progression. However, the relationship between TIMP-2 expression and β-catenin activity is still unclear. We hypothesize that TIMP-2 over expression inhibits the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in melanoma cells. Protein expression, distribution, and transcriptional activity of β-catenin were assayed in established stable melanoma cell lines: parental A2058 expressing, A2058 T2-1 over-expressing (T2-1), and A2058 T2R-7 under-expressing (T2R-7) TIMP-2. Compared to T2-1 cells at the basal level, T2R-7 showed significantly lower amount protein and weaker immunofluorescence staining of β-catenin. This regulation is through posttranslational level via ubiquitination. Functionally, proliferation and cell growth were lower in T2R-7 compared to A2058 and T2-1. Lithium treatment was used to mimics activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In T2R-7 cells under-expressing TIMP2, lithium significantly increased total β-catenin, nuclear β-catenin, and its downstream protein phosphor-c-Myc (S62). Nuclear β-catenin staining was enhanced in T2R-7. Beta-catenin transcriptional activity and cell proliferation were also increased significantly. Axins inhibit β-catenin pathway via GSK-3 β. We further found the ratio of p-GSK-3 β (S9) to β-catenin and protein levels of Axins were significantly lower, whereas downstream Wnt 11 was high in T2R-7 treated with lithium. Collectively, the high level of TIMP-2 protein inhibits the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, thus suppressing proliferation. Insights in the molecular mechanisms of TIMP-2 may provide promising opportunities for anti-proliferative therapeutic intervention. Show less

Cyclosporine A (CsA) increases β-catenin messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression. The present study demonstrates that Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibits β-catenin degradation in the gingiva. Forty 5-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to two study groups after healing from right maxillary molar extractions. The rats in the experimental group were fed 30 mg/kg CsA daily for 4 weeks, whereas the control rats were fed mineral oil. At the end of the study, all rats were sacrificed, and the gingivae were obtained. The gingival morphology after CsA treatment was evaluated by histology, and the genes related to Wnt/β-catenin signaling were initially screened by microarray. Polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the mRNA and protein expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, cyclin D1, E-cadherin, β-catenin, Dvl-1, glycogen synthase kinase-3β, axin-1, and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). Phosphoserine and ubiquitinylated β-catenin were detected after immunoprecipitation. In rats treated with CsA, overgrowth of gingivae was observed, and altered expression of genes related to Wnt/β-catenin signaling was detected by the microarray. The gingival mRNA and protein expression profiles for genes associated with Wnt/β-catenin signaling further confirmed the effect of CsA: β-catenin and Dvl-1 expression increased, but APC and axin-1 expression decreased. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry showed decreases in β-catenin serine phosphorylation (33/37) and ubiquitinylation in the gingivae of CsA-treated rats. CsA-enhanced gingival β-catenin stability may be involved in gene upregulation or β-catenin degradation via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Show less

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), a severe form of male infertility, is often suspected to be linked to currently undefined genetic abnormalities. To explore the genetic basis of this condition, we successfully sequenced ~650 infertility-related genes in 757 NOA patients and 709 fertile males. We evaluated the contributions of rare variants to the etiology of NOA by identifying individual genes showing nominal associations and testing the genetic burden of a given biological process as a whole. We found a significant excess of rare, non-silent variants in genes that are key epigenetic regulators of spermatogenesis, such as BRWD1, DNMT1, DNMT3B, RNF17, UBR2, USP1 and USP26, in NOA patients (P = 5.5 × 10(-7)), corresponding to a carrier frequency of 22.5% of patients and 13.7% of controls (P = 1.4 × 10(-5)). An accumulation of low-frequency variants was also identified in additional epigenetic genes (BRDT and MTHFR). Our study suggested the potential associations of genetic defects in genes that are epigenetic regulators with spermatogenic failure in human. Show less

TNF-α plays an important role in the pathogenesis of salivary inflammatory diseases. Salivary dysfunction, which leads to impaired saliva secretion, can be caused by TNF-α-induced disrupted epithelial barrier. However, the signaling mechanism involved in TNF-α-modulated tight junction barrier in salivary gland remains unclear. Here, we found that TNF-α reduced transepithelial resistance (TER) and increased FITC-dextran flux in a rat submandibular cell line SMG-C6. Claudin (Cln)-3 was selectively downregulated and disrupted by TNF-α, whereas Cln-1, Cln-4, and β-catenin were not affected. Overexpression of Cln-3 retained and Cln-3 knockdown abolished the TNF-α-induced alterations. Moreover, TNF-α increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) phosphorylation and the expression of transcriptional factor slug. ERK1/2 kinase inhibitor PD98059 abrogated TNF-α-induced increase in paracellular permeability, alterations of Cln-3, and elevation of slug. Overexpression of slug decreased and slug knockdown increased Cln-3 expression. In addition, slug bind to the E-box elements of Cln-3 promoter in TNF-α-treated cells, and this response was blocked by PD98059. Furthermore, TNF-α decreased Cln-3 expression and increased slug content in cultured human submandibular gland. Taken together, our data suggest that Cln-3 plays a vital role in TNF-α-modulated paracellular permeability in submandibular epithelium and ERK1/2/slug signaling axis is involved in alteration of Cln-3 redistribution and downregulation. Show less

The mechanisms leading to high rates of malignancy and recurrence of human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remain unclear. It is difficult to diagnose and assess the prognosis of patients with ICC in the clinic due to the lack of specific biomarkers. In addition, long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to serve important roles in certain types of tumorigenesis however a role in ICC remains to be reported. The aim of the current study was to screen for genes and lncRNAs that are abnormally expressed in ICC and to investigate their biological and clinicopathological significance in ICC. The global gene and lncRNA expression profiles in ICC were measured using bioinformatics analysis. Carbamoyl‑phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) and its lncRNA CPS1 intronic transcript 1 (CPS1‑IT1) were observed to be upregulated in ICC. The expression of CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 was measured in 31 tissue samples from patients with ICC and a number of cell lines. The effects of CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of the ICC‑9810 cell line were measured. In addition, the clinicopathological features and survival rates of patients with ICC with respect to the gene and lncRNA expression status were analyzed. CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 were co‑upregulated in ICC tissues compared with non‑cancerous tissues. Knockdown of CPS1 andor CPS1‑IT1 reduced the proliferation and increased the apoptosis of ICC‑9810 cells. Additionally, clinical analysis indicated that CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 were associated with poor liver function and reduced survival rates when the relative expression values were greater than 4 in cancer tissues. The comparisons between the high CPS1 expression group and the low expression group indicated significant differences in international normalized ratio (P=0.048), total protein (P=0.049), indirect bilirubin (P=0.025), alkaline phosphatase (P=0.003) and disease‑free survival (P=0.034). In addition, there were differential trends in CA19‑9 (P=0.068), globulin (P=0.052) and total bilirubin (P=0.066). The comparisons between the high CPS1‑IT1 expression group and the low expression group indicated significant differences in lymphatic invasion (P=0.045), carbohydrate antigen 19‑9 (P=0.044), disease‑free survival (P=0.026), and non‑significant differential trends in alkaline phosphatase were observed (P=0.085). In conclusion, CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 may serve an important role in ICC development by promoting the proliferation of ICC cells. Furthermore, CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 were associated with poor liver function and reduced survival rates. Thus, CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 may be potential prognostic indicators for patients with ICC. Show less

Cryptococcus demonstrates predilection for invasion of the brain, but the mechanism by which Cryptococcus crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to cause brain invasion is largely unknown. In order for Cryptococcus to cross the BBB, there must be a way to either cross human brain microvascular endothelial cells, which are the main constitute of the BBB, or go in between tight junctions. Recent evidence of human brain microvascular endothelial cell responses to transcellular brain invasions includes membrane rearrangements, intracellular signaling pathways and cytoskeletal activations. Several Cryptococcal genes related to the traversal of BBB have been identified, including CPS1, ITR1a, ITR3c, PLB1, MPR1, FNX1 and RUB1. In addition, Cryptococcus neoformans-derived microvesicles may contribute to cryptococcal brain invasion. Paracellularly, Cryptococcus may traverse across BBB using either routes utilizing plasmin, ammonia or macrophages in a Trojan horse mechanism. Show less

In this study, 796 male Duroc pigs were used to identify genomic regions controlling growth traits. Three production traits were studied: food conversion ratio, days to 100 KG, and average daily gain, using a panel of 39,436 single nucleotide polymorphisms. In total, we detected 11 genome-wide and 162 chromosome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism trait associations. The Gene ontology analysis identified 14 candidate genes close to significant single nucleotide polymorphisms, with growth-related functions: six for days to 100 KG (WT1, FBXO3, DOCK7, PPP3CA, AGPAT9, and NKX6-1), seven for food conversion ratio (MAP2, TBX15, IVL, ARL15, CPS1, VWC2L, and VAV3), and one for average daily gain (COL27A1). Gene ontology analysis indicated that most of the candidate genes are involved in muscle, fat, bone or nervous system development, nutrient absorption, and metabolism, which are all either directly or indirectly related to growth traits in pigs. Additionally, we found four haplotype blocks composed of suggestive single nucleotide polymorphisms located in the growth trait-related quantitative trait loci and further narrowed down the ranges, the largest of which decreased by ~60 Mb. Hence, our results could be used to improve pig production traits by increasing the frequency of favorable alleles via artificial selection. Show less

Human papillomavirus (HPV) integration is a key genetic event in cervical carcinogenesis. By conducting whole-genome sequencing and high-throughput viral integration detection, we identified 3,667 HPV integration breakpoints in 26 cervical intraepithelial neoplasias, 104 cervical carcinomas and five cell lines. Beyond recalculating frequencies for the previously reported frequent integration sites POU5F1B (9.7%), FHIT (8.7%), KLF12 (7.8%), KLF5 (6.8%), LRP1B (5.8%) and LEPREL1 (4.9%), we discovered new hot spots HMGA2 (7.8%), DLG2 (4.9%) and SEMA3D (4.9%). Protein expression from FHIT and LRP1B was downregulated when HPV integrated in their introns. Protein expression from MYC and HMGA2 was elevated when HPV integrated into flanking regions. Moreover, microhomologous sequence between the human and HPV genomes was significantly enriched near integration breakpoints, indicating that fusion between viral and human DNA may have occurred by microhomology-mediated DNA repair pathways. Our data provide insights into HPV integration-driven cervical carcinogenesis. Show less

Dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) is a negative feedback mechanism of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase superfamily (MAPK/ERK, SAPK/JNK, p38), that is associated with cellular proliferation and differentiation. It has been reported that the expression of DUSP6 in different types of breast cancer is diverse and therefore it has altered functions in various types of breast cancer. Our aim was to explore the exact function of DUSP6 in triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 cell) and to determine whether the suppression of DUSP6 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and mircroRNA (miRNA) inhibits the growth of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. DUSP6-siRNA was used to inhibit the expression of DUSP6 directly and miR-145 to inhibit the expression of DUSP6 either in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and successful transfection being confirmed by Real-time PCR and Western Blotting. Down regulation of DUSP6 in MDA-MB-231 cells suppressed the cell proliferation as investigated by MTT assay and colony form assay. Transwell test and Scratch assay were conducted to investigate the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. T-test (two-tailed) was used to compare differences between groups, and the significance level was set at P<0.05. DUSP6 mRNA expression and protein expression were reduced after transfection with DUSP6-siRNA directly and similar trend with transfection with miR-145. The treated group with DUSP6-siRNA or miR-145 suppressed MDA-MB-231 cells proliferation, migration and invasion, and meanwhile the cells were arrested at G0/G1 phase. DUSP6 plays a role in triple-negative breast cancer cells that might promote growth in MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells. Show less

Thiazide-sensitive sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC) plays an important role in maintaining blood pressure. Aldosterone is known to modulate NCC abundance. Previous studies reported that dietary salts modulated NCC abundance through either WNK4 [with no lysine (k) kinase 4]-SPAK (Ste20-related proline alanine-rich kinase) or WNK4-extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathways. To exclude the influence of SPAK signaling pathway on the role of the aldosterone-mediated ERK1/2 pathway in NCC regulation, we investigated the effects of dietary salt changes and aldosterone on NCC abundance in SPAK knockout (KO) mice. We found that in SPAK KO mice low-salt diet significantly increased total NCC abundance while reducing ERK1/2 phosphorylation, whereas high-salt diet decreased total NCC while increasing ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Importantly, exogenous aldosterone administration increased total NCC abundance in SPAK KO mice while increasing DUSP6 expression, an ERK1/2-specific phosphatase, and led to decreasing ERK1/2 phosphorylation without changing the ratio of phospho-T53-NCC/total NCC. In mouse distal convoluted tubule (mDCT) cells, aldosterone increased DUSP6 expression while reducing ERK1/2 phosphorylation. DUSP6 Knockdown increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation while reducing total NCC expression. Inhibition of DUSP6 by (E)-2-benzylidene-3-(cyclohexylamino)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation and reversed the aldosterone-mediated increments of NCC partly by increasing NCC ubiquitination. Therefore, these data suggest that aldosterone modulates NCC abundance via altering NCC ubiquitination through a DUSP6-dependent ERK1/2 signal pathway in SPAK KO mice and part of the effects of dietary salt changes may be mediated by aldosterone in the DCTs. Show less

Smooth muscle 22α (SM22α) is involved in stress fiber formation and enhances contractility in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In many cases, SM22α acts as an adapter protein to assemble signaling complexes and regulate signaling, but whether SM22α regulates contractile signaling induced by angiotensin II (AngII) remains unclear. To address this issue, we established a hypertension model of Sm22α(-/-) mice, and demonstrated that hypertension induced by AngII was attenuated in Sm22α(-/-) mice. A decreased vasoconstriction was observed in aortic rings from Sm22α(-/-) mice. Furthermore, loss of SM22α resulted in a reduced contractile response to AngII in VSMCs in vitro. The phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) induced by AngII was impaired following depletion of SM22α, in parallel with a reduced contractility. The decay of ERK1/2 activity was associated with increased expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 3 (MKP3). Inhibition of MKP3 activity rescued ERK1/2 activity. SM22α depletion caused an enhanced interaction of MKP3 with ERK1/2, and a reduced ubiquitination and degradation of MKP3. Knockdown of SM22α extended the half-life of MKP3. In conclusion, SM22α promotes AngII-induced contraction by maintenance of ERK1/2 signaling cascades through facilitating ubiquitination and degradation of MKP3. The vasoconstriction is attenuated in aortic rings from Sm22α(-/-) mice. MKP3 mediates dephosphorylation of ERK1/2 in AngII-induced VSMC contraction. SM22α inhibits the interaction of ERK1/2 with MKP3. SM22α promotes ubiquitination and degradation of MKP3. SM22α facilitates AngII-induced contraction by maintenance of ERK1/2 signaling. Show less

Hereditary multiple osteochondromas (HMO) is an autosomal dominant bone disorder characterised by the presence of multiple benign cartilage-capped tumours. Exostosin-1 (EXT1) and EXT2 are the major morbigenous genes associated with HMO, mutations in which are responsible for 90% of all HMO cases. In patients with HMO, osteochondromas arise adjacent to the metaphysis and typically remain in the metaphyseal region of the long bones. Therefore, it is rare for osteochondromas to be identified intra-articularly, although they may manifest as loose bodies. The present study describes a rare case of HMO manifesting as limited flexing range in the right knee joint of a 27-year-old male patient. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed three intra-articular osteochondromas located in the intercondylar fossa of the patient's right knee. The intra-articular osteochondromas and protuberant extra-articular osteochondromas around the right knee were resected, resulting in improved right knee function and no postoperative recurrence. Pathological analysis revealed that the intra-articular osteochondromas had a thinner cartilage cap layer than the extra-articular osteochondromas. In addition, genetic analysis of the patient and the patient's mother was conducted. From this, it was determined that a nonsense mutation, c.115G>T (p.E39X) in exon 1 of the EXT1 gene, was the cause of HMO in this case. Thus, it is proposed that osteochondromas with a pedicle within the knee, may tear and become loose intra-articular bodies, resulting in limited joint function and thereby contributing to the progression of HMO. Show less

The aim of this research was to present prenatal diagnosis of Langer-Giedion syndrome (LGS/TRPS type II) and Cornelia de Lange syndrome-4 (CDLS4). A 36-year-old woman underwent amniocentesis at 17 weeks of gestation because of advanced maternal age. Conventional cytogenetic analysis of amniocentesis revealed an interstitial deletion of chromosome 8q or del(8)(q23.3q24.13). Level II prenatal ultrasound examination revealed craniofacial dysmorphism. The pregnancy was terminated, and a malformed fetus was delivered with characteristic craniofacial dysmorphism of LGS/TRPS type II and CDLS4. Whole-genome array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) on the DNA extracted from cultured amniocytes was performed. The analysis by aCGH revealed a result of arr 8q23.3q24.11 (116,087,006-118,969,399)×1, 8q24.13 (123,086,851-124,470,847)×1 (NCBI build 37) with a 2.88-Mb deletion of 8q23.3-q24.11 encompassing six OMIM genes, TRPS1, EIF3H, RAD21, SLC30A8, MED30, and EXT1, and a 1.383-Mb deletion of 8q24.13 encompassing four OMIM genes, ZHX2, DERL1, ZHX1, and ATAD2. In the present case, the conventional cytogenetic analysis of cultured amniocytes revealed del(8)(q23.3q24.13), whereas aCGH analysis of cultured amniocytes showed the deletions of 8q23.3-q24.11 and 8q24.13 with the presence of the segment 8q24.12. Therefore, aCGH provides the advantage of better understanding of the nature of interstitial deletion and genotype-phenotype correlation in this case. Show less

Cytogenetic analyses have revealed that complex karyotypes with numerous and highly variable genomic aberrations including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variants (CNVs), are observed in most of the conventional osteosarcomas (OSs). Several genome-wide studies have reported that the dysregulated expression of many genes is correlated with genomic aberrations in OS. We first compared OS gene expression in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data sets and genomic aberrations in International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with SNPs or CNVs in OS. Then the function annotation of SNP- or CNV-associated DEGs was performed in terms of gene ontology analysis, pathway analysis and protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Finally, the expression of genes correlated with both SNPs and CNVs were confirmed by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. Eight publicly available GEO data sets were obtained, and a set of 979 DEGs were identified (472 upregulated and 507 downregulated DEGs). Moreover, we obtained 1039 SNPs mapped in 938 genes, and 583 CNV sites mapped in 2915 genes. Comparing genomic aberrations and DGEs, we found 41 SNP-associated DEGs and 124 CNV-associated DEGs, in which 7 DGEs were associated with both SNPs and CNVs, including WWP1, EXT1, LDHB, C8orf59, PLEKHA5, CCT3 and VWF. The result of function annotation showed that ossification, bone development and skeletal system development were the significantly enriched terms of biological processes for DEGs. PPI network analysis showed that CCT3, COPS3 and WWP1 were the significant hub proteins. We conclude that these genes, including CCT3, COPS3 and WWP1 are candidate driver genes of importance in OS tumorigenesis. Show less

Glycosaminoglycans are important regulators of multiple signaling pathways. As a major constituent of the heart extracellular matrix, glycosaminoglycans are implicated in cardiac morphogenesis through interactions with different signaling morphogens. Ext1 is a glycosyltransferase responsible for heparan sulfate synthesis. Here, we evaluate the function of Ext1 in heart development by analyzing Ext1 hypomorphic mutant and conditional knockout mice. Outflow tract alignment is sensitive to the dosage of Ext1. Deletion of Ext1 in the mesoderm induces a cardiac phenotype similar to that of a mutant with conditional deletion of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase, a key enzyme responsible for synthesis of all glycosaminoglycans. The outflow tract defect in conditional Ext1 knockout(Ext1f/f:Mesp1Cre) mice is attributable to the reduced contribution of second heart field and neural crest cells. Ext1 deletion leads to downregulation of FGF signaling in the pharyngeal mesoderm. Exogenous FGF8 ameliorates the defects in the outflow tract and pharyngeal explants. In addition, Ext1 expression in second heart field and neural crest cells is required for outflow tract remodeling. Our results collectively indicate that Ext1 is crucial for outflow tract formation in distinct progenitor cells, and heparan sulfate modulates FGF signaling during early heart development. Show less

Hereditary multiple exostosis (HME) is an autosomal inherited skeletal disease whose etiology is not fully understood. To further understand the genetic spectrum of the disease, we analyzed a five-generation Chinese family with HME that have observable inheritance. Exome sequencing was performed on three HME individuals and three unaffected individuals from the family. A downstream study confirmed a new C deletion at codon 442 on exon 5 of the exostosin-1 (EXT1) gene as the only pathogenic site which generated a stop codon and caused the truncation of the protein. We rediscovered the deletion in other affected individuals but not in the unaffected individuals from the family. Upon immunohistochemistry assay, we found that the EXT1 protein level of the patients with the novel mutation in our study was less than the level in the patients without the EXT1 mutation from another unrelated family. For a deeper understanding, we analyzed the mutation spectrum of the EXT1 gene. The present study should facilitate a further understanding of HME. Show less

Little is known about the association of the FADS1/FADS2 SNPs and serum lipid levels and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischemic stroke (IS) in the Chinese southern population. The present study aimed to determine such association in the Chinese southern population. A total of 1,669 unrelated subjects (CAD, 534; IS, 553; and healthy controls, 582) were recruited in the study. Genotypes of the FADS1 rs174546 SNP and the FADS2 rs174601 SNP were determined by the SNaPshot Multiplex Kit. The T allele and TT genotype frequencies of the two SNPs were predominant in our study population. The T alleles were associated with increased risk of CAD and IS. Correspondingly, the C alleles were associated with reduced risk of CAD and IS. Haplotype analyses showed that the haplotype of T-T (rs174546-rs174601) was associated with an increased risk for IS, and the haplotype of C-C (rs174546-rs174601) was associated with a reduced risk for CAD and IS. The two SNPs were likely to influence serum lipid levels. The T allele carriers of the two SNPs and rs174601 TT genotype were associated with decreased serum HDL-C and ApoAI levels in the patient groups and with an increased risk of CAD and IS. The present study suggests that the FADS1 rs174546 SNP and the FADS2 rs174601 SNP are associated with the risk of CAD and IS, and are likely to influence serum lipid levels. However, further functional studies are needed to clarify how the two SNPs actually affect serum lipid levels and the risk of CAD and IS. Show less

Circulating trans fatty acids (TFAs), which cannot be synthesized by humans, are linked to adverse health outcomes. Although TFAs are obtained from diet, little is known about subsequent influences (e.g., relating to incorporation, metabolism, or intercompetition with other fatty acids) that could alter circulating concentrations and possibly modulate or mediate impacts on health. The objective was to elucidate novel biologic pathways that may influence circulating TFAs by evaluating associations between common genetic variation and TFA biomarkers. We performed meta-analyses using 7 cohorts of European-ancestry participants (n = 8013) having measured genome-wide variation in single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and circulating TFA biomarkers (erythrocyte or plasma phospholipids), including trans-16:1n-7, total trans-18:1, trans/cis-18:2, cis/trans-18:2, and trans/trans-18:2. We further evaluated SNPs with genome-wide significant associations among African Americans (n = 1082), Chinese Americans (n = 669), and Hispanic Americans (n = 657) from 2 of these cohorts. Among European-ancestry participants, 31 SNPs in or near the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) 1 and 2 cluster were associated with cis/trans-18:2; a top hit was rs174548 (β = 0.0035, P = 4.90 × 10(-15)), an SNP previously associated with circulating n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations. No significant association was identified for other TFAs. rs174548 in FADS1/2 was also associated with cis/trans-18:2 in Hispanic Americans (β = 0.0053, P = 1.05 × 10(-6)) and Chinese Americans (β = 0.0028, P = 0.002) but not African Americans (β = 0.0009, P = 0.34); however, in African Americans, fine mapping identified a top hit in FADS2 associated with cis/trans-18:2 (rs174579: β = 0.0118, P = 4.05 × 10(-5)). The association between rs174548 and cis/trans-18:2 remained significant after further adjustment for individual circulating n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, except arachidonic acid. After adjustment for arachidonic acid concentrations, the association between rs174548 and cis/trans-18:2 was nearly eliminated in European-ancestry participants (β-coefficient reduced by 86%), with similar reductions in Hispanic Americans and Chinese Americans. Our findings provide novel evidence for genetic regulation of cis/trans-18:2 by the FADS1/2 cluster and suggest that this regulation may be influenced/mediated by concentrations of arachidonic acid, an n-6 polyunsaturated fat. Show less

Tissue concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce cardiovascular disease risk, and genetic variants are associated with circulating fatty acids concentrations. Whether dietary fatty acids interact with genetic variants to modify circulating omega-3 fatty acids is unclear. We evaluated interactions between genetic variants and fatty acid intakes for circulating alpha-linoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid. We conducted meta-analyses (N = 11 668) evaluating interactions between dietary fatty acids and genetic variants (rs174538 and rs174548 in FADS1 (fatty acid desaturase 1), rs7435 in AGPAT3 (1-acyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphate), rs4985167 in PDXDC1 (pyridoxal-dependent decarboxylase domain-containing 1), rs780094 in GCKR (glucokinase regulatory protein), and rs3734398 in ELOVL2 (fatty acid elongase 2)). Stratification by measurement compartment (plasma versus erthyrocyte) revealed compartment-specific interactions between FADS1 rs174538 and rs174548 and dietary alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid for docosahexaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid. Our findings reinforce earlier reports that genetically based differences in circulating fatty acids may be partially due to differences in the conversion of fatty acid precursors. Further, fatty acids measurement compartment may modify gene-diet relationships, and considering compartment may improve the detection of gene-fatty acids interactions for circulating fatty acid outcomes. Show less

Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) may coexist with Brugada syndrome (BrS). The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of drug-induced type 1 Brugada ECG pattern (concealed BrS) in patients presenting with clinical spontaneous AVNRT and to investigate their electrocardiographic, electrophysiological, and genetic characteristics. Ninety-six consecutive patients without any sign of BrS on baseline electrocardiogram undergoing electrophysiological study and ablation for symptomatic, drug-resistant AVNRT and 66 control subjects underwent an ajmaline challenge to unmask BrS. Genetic screening was performed in 17 patients displaying both AVNRT and BrS. A concealed BrS electrocardiogram was uncovered in 26 of 96 patients with AVNRT (27.1%) and in 3 of 66 control subjects (4.5%) (P ≤ .001). Patients with concealed BrS were predominantly female patients (n=23 [88.5%] vs n=44 [62.9%], P = .015), had higher prevalence of chest pain (n=10 [38.5%] vs n=13 [18.6%], p=0.042), migraine headaches (n=10 [38.5%] vs n=10 [14.2%], p=0.008), and drug-induced initiation and/or worsening of duration and/or frequency of AVNRT (n=4 [15.4%] vs n=1 [1.4%], p=0.006) as compared to patients with AVNRT without BrS. Genetic screening identified 19 mutations or rare variants in 13 genes in 13 of 17 patients with both AVNRT and BrS (yield = 76.5%). Ten of these 13 genotype-positive patients (76.9%) harbored genetic variants known or suspected to cause a loss of function of cardiac sodium channel current (SCN5A, SCN10A, SCN1B, GPD1L, PKP2, and HEY2). Our results suggest that spontaneous AVNRT and concealed BrS co-occur, particularly in female patients, and that genetic variants that reduce sodium channel current may provide a mechanistic link between AVNRT and BrS and predispose to expression of both phenotypes. Show less

To study biological effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (RhEPO) on the expression of oligodendrocyte in the neuron glia antigen 2(NG2), Nogo receptor-interacting protein 1(LINGO-1), myelin basic protein (MBP) and myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG), and to explore the protective mechanism of RhEPO for oligodendrocyte after cerebral infarction. Experimental rats were randomly divided into the treatment group (RhEPO at a dose of 3 000 U/kg) or saline control group. Both groups received intraperitoneal injection of RhEPO after cerebral ischemia in 30 min, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h and 24 h, which was administered daily for 7 days. The modified neurological severity score (mNSS) and histology were analyzed, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of NG2, MAG, MBP and LINGO-1. The overall mNSS of RhEPO treatment group significantly decreased compared with the saline control group on the seventh day after cerebral infarction (P<0.05). Such treatment effect was more obvious in the treatment group at 30 min and 3 h (P<0.01). Compared with the saline control group, the numbers of NG2 positive cells increased in RhEPO treatment group. In contrast, the expression of LINGO-1 protein significantly decreased (P<0.05), with a dramatic decrease observed at 30 min and 3 h (P<0.01). However, the expression of MBP protein decreased more significantly in saline control group, while the level of the MAG protein expression increased. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05), especially at 30 min (P<0.01). After cerebral ischemia, RhEPO promotes the proliferation of NG2 positive cells, and inhibits the expression of LINGO-1 and MAG proteins. RhEPO improves the proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells, which in turn protects neuronal function, particularly at the early phase of ischemia. Show less

Schizophrenia is a heritable, heterogeneous common psychiatric disorder. In this study, we evaluated the hypothesis that de novo variants (DNVs) contribute to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. We performed exome sequencing in Chinese patients (N = 45) with schizophrenia and their unaffected parents (N = 90). Forty genes were found to contain DNVs. These genes had enriched transcriptional co-expression profile in prenatal frontal cortex (Bonferroni corrected p < 9.1 × 10(-3)), and in prenatal temporal and parietal regions (Bonferroni corrected p < 0.03). Also, four prenatal anatomical subregions (VCF, MFC, OFC and ITC) have shown significant enrichment of connectedness in co-expression networks. Moreover, four genes (LRP1, MACF1, DICER1 and ABCA2) harboring the damaging de novo mutations are strongly prioritized as susceptibility genes by multiple evidences. Our findings in Chinese schizophrenic patients indicate the pathogenic role of DNVs, supporting the hypothesis that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disease. Show less

We investigated the contributions of dietary fat and dietary carbohydrate to the development of fatty liver induced by western diet (WD). Compared with WD-fed wild type (WT) mice, livers of WD-fed ChREBP(-/-) mice showed lipid droplets of varying sizes around the hepatic lobules, while hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol contents were only modestly decreased. Inflammation and fibrosis were suppressed in ChREBP(-/-) mice. In addition, compared with WD-fed WT mice, ChREBP(-/-) mice showed decreased β-oxidation, ketogenesis and FGF21 production, increased intestinal lipid absorption, and decreased VLDL secretion. These findings suggest that dietary fat and carbohydrate contribute differently to the development of fatty liver. Show less

Liver X receptor (LXR)α and LXRβ play key roles in hepatic de novo lipogenesis through their regulation of lipogenic genes, including sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1c and carbohydrate responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP). LXRs activate lipogenic gene transcription in response to feeding, which is believed to be mediated by insulin. We have previously shown that LXRs are targets for glucose-hexosamine-derived O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification enhancing their ability to regulate SREBP-1c promoter activity in vitro. To elucidate insulin-independent effects of feeding on LXR-mediated lipogenic gene expression in vivo, we subjected control and streptozotocin-treated LXRα/β(+/+) and LXRα/β(-/-) mice to a fasting-refeeding regime. We show that under hyperglycemic and hypoinsulinemic conditions, LXRs maintain their ability to upregulate the expression of glycolytic and lipogenic enzymes, including glucokinase (GK), SREBP-1c, ChREBPα, and the newly identified shorter isoform ChREBPβ. Furthermore, glucose-dependent increases in LXR/retinoid X receptor-regulated luciferase activity driven by the ChREBPα promoter was mediated, at least in part, by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) signaling in Huh7 cells. Moreover, we show that LXR and OGT interact and colocalize in the nucleus and that loss of LXRs profoundly reduced nuclear O-GlcNAc signaling and ChREBPα promoter binding activity in vivo. In summary, our study provides evidence that LXRs act as nutrient and glucose metabolic sensors upstream of ChREBP by modulating GK expression, nuclear O-GlcNAc signaling, and ChREBP expression and activity. Show less

MYBPC3 dysfunctions have been proven to induce dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and/or left ventricular noncompaction; however, the genotype-phenotype correlation between MYBPC3 and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) has not been established. The newly developed next-generation sequencing method is capable of broad genomic DNA sequencing with high throughput and can help explore novel correlations between genetic variants and cardiomyopathies. A proband from a multigenerational family with 3 live patients and 1 unrelated patient with clinical diagnoses of RCM underwent a next-generation sequencing workflow based on a custom AmpliSeq panel, including 64 candidate pathogenic genes for cardiomyopathies, on the Ion Personal Genome Machine high-throughput sequencing benchtop instrument. The selected panel contained a total of 64 genes that were reportedly associated with inherited cardiomyopathies. All patients fulfilled strict criteria for RCM with clinical characteristics, echocardiography, and/or cardiac magnetic resonance findings. The multigenerational family with 3 adult RCM patients carried an identical nonsense MYBPC3 mutation, and the unrelated patient carried a missense mutation in the MYBPC3 gene. All of these results were confirmed by the Sanger sequencing method. This study demonstrated that MYBPC3 gene mutations, revealed by next-generation sequencing, were associated with familial and sporadic RCM patients. It is suggested that the next-generation sequencing platform with a selected panel provides a highly efficient approach for molecular diagnosis of hereditary and idiopathic RCM and helps build new genotype-phenotype correlations. Show less

The dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism and inflammation plays a significant role in the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Anthocyanins are polyphenols widely distributed in food and exert various biological effects including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antihyperlipidemic effects. However, it remains unclear whether anthocyanins are associated with DN, and the mechanisms involved in the reciprocal regulation of inflammation and cholesterol efflux are yet to be elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the regulation of cholesterol metabolism and the anti-inflammatory effects exerted by anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-O-β-glucoside chloride [C3G] or cyanidin chloride [Cy]) and investigated the underlying molecular mechanism of action using high-glucose (HG)-stimulated HK-2 cells. We found that anthocyanins enhanced cholesterol efflux and ABCA1 expression markedly in HK-2 cells. In addition, they increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and liver X receptor alpha (LXRα) expression and decreased the HG-induced expression of the proinflammatory cytokines intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1), as well as NFκB activation. Incubation with the PPARα-specific inhibitor GW6471 and LXRα shRNA attenuated the anthocyanin-mediated promotion of ABCA1 expression and cholesterol efflux, suggesting that anthocyanins activated PPARα-LXRα-ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux in HK-2 cells. Moreover, the knockout of LXRα abrogated the anti-inflammatory effect of anthocyanins, whereas the PPARα antagonist GW6471 does not have this effect. Further investigations revealed that LXRα might interfere with anthocyanin-induced decreased ICAM1, MCP1, and TGFβ1 expression by reducing the nuclear translocation of NFκB. Collectively, these findings suggest that blocking cholesterol deposition and inhibiting the LXRα pathway-induced inflammatory response might be one of the main mechanisms by which anthocyanins exert their protective effects in DN. Show less

In mouse models of atherosclerosis, normalization of hyperlipidemia promotes macrophage emigration and regression of atherosclerotic plaques in part by liver X receptor (LXR)-mediated induction of the chemokine receptor CCR7. Here we report that LXRα serine 198 (S198) phosphorylation modulates CCR7 expression. Low levels of S198 phosphorylation are observed in plaque macrophages in the regression environment where high levels of CCR7 expression are observed. Consistent with these findings, CCR7 gene expression in human and mouse macrophages cell lines is induced when LXRα at S198 is nonphosphorylated. In bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), we also observed induction of CCR7 by ligands that promote nonphosphorylated LXRα S198, and this was lost in LXR-deficient BMDMs. LXRα occupancy at the CCR7 promoter is enhanced and histone modifications associated with gene repression are reduced in RAW264.7 cells expressing nonphosphorylated LXRα (RAW-LXRα S198A) compared to RAW264.7 cells expressing wild-type (WT) phosphorylated LXRα (RAW-LXRα WT). Expression profiling of ligand-treated RAW-LXRα S198A cells compared to RAW-LXRα WT cells revealed induction of cell migratory and anti-inflammatory genes and repression of proinflammatory genes. Modeling of LXRα S198 in the nonphosphorylated and phosphorylated states identified phosphorylation-dependent conformational changes in the hinge region commensurate with the presence of sites for protein interaction. Therefore, gene transcription is regulated by LXRα S198 phosphorylation, including that of antiatherogenic genes such as CCR7. Show less

Specificity protein 1 (SP1) is a ubiquitous transcription factor that plays an important role in controlling gene expression. Although important in mediating the function of various hormones, the role of SP1 in regulating milk fat formation remains unknown. To investigate the sequence and expression information, as well as its role in modulating lipid metabolism, we cloned SP1 gene from mammary gland of Xinong Saanen dairy goat. The full-length cDNA of the SP1 gene is 4376 bp including 103 bp of 5'UTR, 2358 bp of ORF (HM₂₃₆₃₁₁₎ and 1915 bp of 3'UTR, which is predicted to encode a 786 amino acids polypeptide. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that goat SP1 has the closest relationship with sheep, followed by bovines (bos taurus, odobenus and ceratotherium), pig, primates (pongo, gorilla, macaca and papio) and murine (rattus and mus), while the furthest relationship was with canis and otolemur. Expression was predominant in the lungs, small intestine, muscle, spleen, mammary gland and subcutaneous fat. There were no significant expression level differences between the mammary gland tissues collected at lactation and dry-off period. Overexpression of SP1 in goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs) led to higher mRNA expression level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and lower liver X receptor α (LXRα) mRNA level, both of which were crucial in regulating fatty acid metabolism, and correspondingly altered the expression of their downstream genes in GMECs. These results were further enhanced by the silencing of SP1. These findings suggest that SP1 may play an important role in fatty acid metabolism. Show less

Cytoplasmic poly(A) binding protein 4 (PABPC4) is an RNA-processing protein which has an important role in regulating gene expression. The association of the PABPC4 rs4660293 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and serum lipid profiles has, to the best of our knowledge, not previously been studied in the Chinese population. The present study aimed to investigate the association between the PABPC4 rs4660293 SNP and several environmental factors with serum lipid levels in the Mulao and Han populations. A total of 727 individuals of Mulao nationality and 729 individuals of Han nationality were randomly selected from stratified randomized samples from a previous study by our group. Genotypes of the PABPC4 rs4660293 SNP were determined via polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses and subsequently confirmed by direct sequencing. Serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipoprotein (Apo) B were higher in the Mulao group than those in the Han group (P<0.01 for each). The genotypic and allelic frequencies of the PABPC4 rs4660293 SNP were significantly different between males and females in the Mulao population (P<0.05 for each), while no significant difference was detected between those of males and females amongst the Han population. The frequency of the G allele was higher in Mulao males than in Mulao females (22.12 vs. 13.44%). The G allele carriers were found to have higher total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and ApoAI levels in Han females but not in Han males, and lower TC and HDL-C levels in Mulao females but not in Mulao males than those of the G allele non-carriers (P<0.05 for all). These associations were confirmed by multiple linear regression analysis (P<0.05‑0.001). Serum lipid parameters were also correlated with multiple environmental factors (P<0.05‑0.001). The PABPC4 rs4660293 SNP was associated with serum TC, HDL-C, LDL-C and ApoAI levels in these study populations; however, the association varied between the Mulao and Han populations. A gender-specific association was identified in the populations of the two ethnic groups. Show less