Overexpression of FNTB and the activation of Ras induce hypertrophy and promote apoptosis and autophagic cell death in cardiomyocytes

Farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important enzyme that catalyses the modification of protein isoprene downstream of the mevalonate pathway. Previous studies have shown that the tissue of the heart in the suprarenal abdominal aortic coarctation (AAC) group showed overexpression of FTaseβ (FNTB) and the activation of the downstream protein Ras was enhanced. FTase inhibitor (FTI) can alleviate myocardial fibrosis and partly improve cardiac remodelling in spontaneously hypertensive rats. However, the exact role and mechanism of FTase in myocardial hypertrophy and remodelling are not fully understood. Here, we used recombinant adenovirus to transfect neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes to study the effect of FNTB overexpression on myocardial remodelling and explore potential mechanisms. The results showed that overexpression of FNTB induces neonatal rat ventricular myocyte hypertrophy and reduces the survival rate of cardiomyocytes. FNTB overexpression induced a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and increased apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. FNTB overexpression also promotes autophagosome formation and the accumulation of autophagy substrate protein, LC3II. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and mCherry‐GFP tandem fluorescent‐tagged LC3 (tfLC3) showed that FNTB overexpression can activate autophagy flux by enhancing autophagosome conversion to autophagolysosome. Overactivated autophagy flux can be blocked by bafilomycin A1. In addition, salirasib (a Ras farnesylcysteine mimetic) can alleviate the hypertrophic phenotype of cardiomyocytes and inhibit the up‐regulation of apoptosis and autophagy flux induced by FNTB overexpression. These results suggest that FTase may have a potential role in future treatment strategies to limit the adverse consequences of cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac dysfunction and heart failure.     

Odoriferous Therapy: A Review Identifying Essential Oils against Pathogens of the Respiratory Tract

This review explores the body of scientific information available on the antimicrobial properties of essential oils against pathogens responsible for respiratory infections and critically compares this to what is recommended in the Layman's aroma‐therapeutic literature. Essential oils are predominantly indicated for the treatment of respiratory infections caused by bacteria or viruses (total 79.0 %), the efficacy of which has not been confirmed through clinical trials. When used in combination, they are often blended for presumed holistic synergistic effects. Of the essential oils recommended, all show some degree of antioxidant activity, 50.0 % demonstrate anti‐inflammatory effects and 83.3 % of the essential oils showed antihistaminic activity. Of the essential oils reviewed, 43.8 % are considered non‐toxic while the remaining essential oils are considered slightly to moderately toxic (43.7 %) or the toxicity is unknown (12.5 %). Recommendations are made for further research into essential oil combinations.     

心肌带收缩率与急性心肌梗死患者左心室收缩功能关系

目的:急性前壁心肌梗死明显影响室间隔收缩率和左心室射血分数(left ventricular ejection fraction LVEF)。本文旨在探讨心肌带降段及升段收缩率与急性前壁心肌梗死患者LVEF的相关性。方法:收集2015年4月-2017年2月在心内科住院的急性前壁心肌梗死患者36例,正常对照组患者39例。所有患者取左心室长轴M型超声心动图,测量室间隔收缩率、升段收缩率及降段收缩率。心肌梗死左心室射血分数采用双平面Simpson's法计算。结果:与正常对照组相比,心肌梗死组患者舒张末期心肌带升段厚度没有统计学差异(P=0.69),收缩末期升段厚度(P=0.014)更薄、升段收缩率(P0.01)明显降低;心肌梗死组舒张末期降段厚度(P0.01)更薄、收缩末期降段厚度(P0.01)更薄、降段收缩率(P0.01)明显降低;心肌梗死组左心室射血分数与降段收缩率(r~2=0.13,P=0.026)、室间隔增厚率(r~2=0.19,P0.01)呈正相关,与升段收缩率没有相关性(P0.05)。正常对照组左心室射血分数与室间隔增厚率、降段增厚率及升段增厚率无相关性。经过相关分析,筛选出与心肌梗死LVEF的相关因素,进一步经逐步回归分析,得多元线性回归方程为LVEF=48.206+18.914*LVDD(cm)-25.414*LVSD(cm)。结论:急性前壁心肌梗死室间隔降段收缩率明显受损,与左心室射血分数降低有关。多元线性回归方程可估算前壁心肌梗死LVEF。     

心脏右向左分流对偏头痛患者临床症状的影响

目的:探讨心脏右向左分流(RLS)对偏头痛患者临床特征是否存在影响,并研究RLS分级与头痛强度之间的关系。方法:选择2016年6月-2018年12月青岛大学附属医院收治的偏头痛患者216例作为偏头痛组,选择于青岛大学附属医院体检的健康志愿者60例作为对照组。216例偏头痛患者根据有无RLS分为有RLS偏头痛组(127例)和无RLS偏头痛组(89例)。有RLS偏头痛患者根据RLS分级将其分为大分流组(n=51)、中分流组(n=11)和小分流组(n=65)。观察对照组与偏头痛组RLS情况,比较有RLS偏头痛组和无RLS偏头痛组患者的一般资料情况,比较大分流组、中分流组和小分流组患者的一般资料情况,采用多因素Logistic回归分析偏头痛患者产生RLS的危险因素。结果:对照组与偏头痛组小分流、中分流患病率比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05),而偏头痛组大分流患病率高于对照组(P0.05)。有RLS偏头痛组患者的视觉先兆、感觉先兆的比例均大于无RLS偏头痛组,头痛初始年龄均小于无RLS偏头痛组,头痛强度均高于无RLS偏头痛组(P0.05),两组患者年龄、性别、吸烟、饮酒、高血压、糖尿病、高血脂、运动先兆、遗传、头痛频率、头痛持续时间比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。不同RLS分级的偏头痛患者的视觉先兆、感觉先兆、头痛初始年龄、头痛强度整体比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,视觉先兆、感觉先兆、头痛初始年龄是偏头痛患者产生RLS的独立危险因素(P0.05)。结论:偏头痛发病年龄较小或有视觉先兆、感觉先兆可能提示偏头痛患者伴有RLS,RLS分级与头痛强度没有关系。     

微通道经皮肾镜碎石术治疗感染性结石合并尿液CRPA感染两例

目的:总结一期行微通道经皮肾镜碎石术(microchannel percutaneous nephrolithotripsy,m PCNL)治疗上尿路感染性结石合并尿培养为耐碳青霉烯铜绿假单胞菌(carbapenem resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa,CRPA)的经验。方法:选择我院收治两例左肾结石合并尿培养为CRPA的患者,经积极抗感染治疗后,病例一行左侧经皮肾镜碎石术,病例二先行右肾穿刺造瘘术成功后行左侧经皮肾镜碎石术,观察分析两例患者术后结石清除情况,术中术后出现发热、腰痛、大出血、尿路损伤及肾功能衰竭等并发症情况。结果:两例患者术后复查双J管位置良好,结石基本清除;术中、术后均未出现发热、腰痛、大出血、尿路损伤及肾功能衰竭等并发症。结论:经过合适的围手术期处理,一期微通道经皮肾镜碎石术治疗感染性结石合并尿培养为耐药菌的患者是安全可行的。     

CT与MRI扫描三维重建在四肢骨关节隐匿性骨折诊断中的应用

摘要 目的：探讨电子计算机断层扫描(Computed Tomography,CT)与磁共振成像(Magnetic resonance imaging,MRI)扫描三维重建在四肢骨关节隐匿性骨折诊断中的应用。方法：2016年9月到2019年10月选择在本院诊治的下拟诊为四肢骨关节隐匿性骨折118例,所有患者都给予CT与MRI扫描三维重建诊断,记录影像学特征与判断诊断价值。结果：在118例患者中,最终确诊为四肢骨关节隐匿性骨折98例,无骨折20例,其中腕关节骨折34例,踝关节骨折22例,膝关节骨折15例,肘关节骨折15例,肩关节骨折8例,髋关节骨折4例。在98例确诊的四肢骨关节隐匿性骨折中,MRI三维重建显示双边征、骨质破坏、充气征、软组织影等比例显著都高于CT (P<0.05)。CT与MRI三维重建诊断四肢骨关节隐匿性骨折的敏感性为89.8 %和99.0 %,特异性为95.0 %和100.0 %,误诊率分别为9.3 %和0.8 %,MRI三维重建诊断的敏感性高于CT ,漏诊率低于CT。结论：CT与MRI扫描三维重建在四肢骨关节隐匿性骨折诊断中的应用都有很好的价值,特别是MRI三维重建能清晰显示骨折特征,具有更高的诊断敏感性,能减少漏诊率,可作为四肢骨关节隐匿性骨折的首选检查方法。     

维生素D缺乏与儿童反复呼吸道感染的关系及机制

呼吸道感染是常见的儿科疾病,有着显著的发病率和死亡率,反复呼吸道感染会严重影响儿童的生活质量和身体健康。维生素D具有一系列与人体健康有关的作用,包括与呼吸道的感染有关。为了分析维生素D与儿童反复呼吸道感染的关系,探讨维生素D影响呼吸道感染的机制,本研究通过临床分析了维生素D缺乏与儿童反复呼吸道发生之间的相关性,通过构建炎症模型,观察了外源维生素D对人气道上皮细胞增殖分化的影响,运用ELISA检测了维生素D对人气道上皮细胞和中性粒细胞释放炎症因子(IL-1β,IL-6和TNF-α)的影响。本结果表明,维生素D缺乏与儿童反复呼吸道感染相关,并且维生素D能促进人气道上皮细胞的增殖分化,但对人气道上皮细胞和中性粒细胞炎症因子的产生无显著影响。     

Molecular phylogeny and species delimitation of Stachyuraceae: Advocating a herbarium specimen‐based phylogenomic approach in resolving species boundaries

Species concept and delimitation are fundamental to taxonomic and evolutionary studies. Both inadequate informative sites in the molecular data and limited taxon sampling have often led to poor phylogenetic resolution and incorrect species delineation. Recently, the whole chloroplast genome sequences from extensive herbarium specimen samples have been shown to be effective to amend the problem. Stachyuraceae are a small family consisting of only one genus Stachyurus of six to 16 species. However, species delimitation in Stachyurus has been highly controversial because of few and generally unstable morphological characters used for classification. In this study, we sampled 69 individuals of seven species (each with at least three individuals) covering the entire taxonomic diversity, geographic range, and morphological variation of Stachyurus from herbarium specimens for genome‐wide plastid gene sequencing to address species delineation in the genus. We obtained high‐quality DNAs from specimens using a recently developed DNA reconstruction technique. We first assembled four whole chloroplast genome sequences. Based on the chloroplast genome and one nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence of Stachyurus, we designed primers for multiplex polymerase chain reaction and high throughput sequencing of 44 plastid loci for species of Stachyurus. Data of these chloroplast DNA and nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequences were used for phylogenetic analyses. The phylogenetic results showed that the Japanese species Stachyurus praecox Siebold & Zucc. was sister to the rest in mainland China, which indicated a typical Sino‐Japanese distribution pattern. Based on diagnostic morphological characters, distinct distributional range, and monophyly of each clade, we redefined seven species for Stachyurus following an integrative species concept, and revised the taxonomy of the family based on previous reports and specimens, in particular the type specimens. Furthermore, our divergence time estimation results suggested that Stachyuraceae split from its sister group Crossosomataceae from the New World at ca. 54.29 Mya, but extant species of Stachyuraceae started their diversification only recently at ca. 6.85 Mya. Diversification time of Stachyurus in mainland China was estimated to be ca. 4.45 Mya. This research has provided an example of using the herbarium specimen‐based phylogenomic approach in resolving species boundaries in a taxonomically difficult genus.     

Methanol-free biosynthesis of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

To meet the increasing global demand of biodiesel over the next decades, alternative methods for producing one of the key constituents of biodiesel (e.g. fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs)) are needed. Algal biodiesel has been a long-term target compromised by excessive costs for harvesting and processing. In this work, we engineered cyanobacteria to convert carbon dioxide into excreted FAME, without requiring methanol as a methyl donor. To produce FAME, acyl-ACP, a product of the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, was first converted into free fatty acid (FFA) by a thioesterase, namely ’UcFatB1 from Umbellularia californica. Next, by employing a juvenile hormone acid O-methyltransferase (DmJHAMT) from Drosophila melanogaster and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as a methyl donor, FFAs were converted into corresponding FAMEs. The esters were naturally secreted extracellularly, allowing simple product separation by solvent overlay as opposed to conventional algae biodiesel production where the algae biomass must first be harvested and processed for transesterification of extracted triacylglycerols (TAGs). By optimizing both the promoter and RBS elements, up to 120 mg/L of FAMEs were produced in 10 days. Quantification of key proteins and metabolites, together with constructs over-expressing SAM synthetase (MetK), indicated that ’UcFatB1, MetK, and DmJHAMT were the main factors limiting pathway flux. In order to solve the latter limitation, two reconstructed ancestral sequences of DmJHAMT were also tried, resulting in strains showing a broader methyl ester chain-length profile in comparison to the native DmJHAMT. Altogether, this work demonstrates a promising pathway for direct sunlight-driven conversion of CO₂ into excreted FAME.