A large-scale survey of genetic copy number variations among Han Chinese residing in Taiwan

Background

Winter migration of immature brown trout (Salmo trutta) into freshwater rivers has been hypothesized to result from physiologically stressful combinations of high salinity and low temperature in the sea.

Results

We sampled brown trout from two Danish populations entering different saline conditions and quantified expression of the hsp70 and Na/K-ATPases α 1b genes following acclimation to freshwater and full-strength seawater at 2°C and 10°C. An interaction effect of low temperature and high salinity on expression of both hsp70 and Na/K-ATPase α 1b was found in trout from the river entering high saline conditions, while a temperature independent up-regulation of both genes in full-strength seawater was found for trout entering marine conditions with lower salinities.

Conclusion

Overall our results support the hypothesis that physiologically stressful conditions in the sea drive sea-run brown trout into freshwater rivers in winter. However, our results also demonstrate intra-specific differences in expression of important stress and osmoregulative genes most likely reflecting adaptive differences between trout populations on a regional scale, thus strongly suggesting local adaptations driven by the local marine environment.     

Hypoglycemia and Medical Expenses in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Analysis Based on the Korea National Diabetes Program Cohort

Background and Aims

Hypoglycemia is one of the most important adverse events in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, hypoglycemia-related events are usually overlooked and have been documented less in clinical practice.

Materials and Methods

We evaluated the incidence, clinical characteristics, and medical expenses of hypoglycemia related events in T2DM patients based on the Korea National Diabetes Program (KNDP), which is the largest multi-center, prospective cohort in Korea (n = 4,350). For accurate outcomes, the KNDP data were merged with claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) of Korea.

Results

During a median follow-up period of 3.23 years (95% CI: 3.14, 3.19), 88 subjects (2.02%) were newly diagnosed with hypoglycemia, and the incidence of hypoglycemia was 6.44 cases per 1,000 person-years (PY). Individuals with hypoglycemia were significantly older (59.7±10.7 vs. 53.3±10.4 years, p < 0.001), had more hospital visits (121.94±126.88 days/PY, p < 0.001), had a longer hospital stays (16.13±29.21 days/PY, p < 0.001), and incurred greater medical costs ($2,447.56±4,056.38 vs. $1,336.37±3,403.39 /PY, p < 0.001) than subjects without hypoglycemia.

Conclusion

Hypoglycemia-related events were infrequently identified among the medical records of T2DM subjects. However, they were associated significantly with poor clinical outcomes, and thus, hypoglycemia could have a substantial burden on the Korean national healthcare system.     

Expression of 15-lipoxygenase-1 in human nasal epithelium: its implication in mucociliary differentiation

15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LO-1) is involved in the differentiation of human tracheobronchial epithelial cells. Here, we investigated the relation between 15-LO-1 expression and the differentiation of human nasal epithelium. In retinoic acid (RA)-sufficient culture media, 15-LO-1 expression in normal human nasal epithelial cell time-dependently increased, but its expression was undetectable in RA-deficient culture media. Moreover, in RA-deficient culture media, IL-4 at 1 ng/ml concentration time-dependently induced 15-LO-1 expression. In addition, MUC8 gene expression, a marker of mucociliary differentiation, was up-regulated by 15-LO-1, which was itself induced by IL-4. In murine nasal mucosa, the expression of leukocyte type-12-LO, a functional equivalent of 15-LO-1, reduced after postnatal day 7. Our findings suggest that 15-LO-1 is related to the differentiation of human nasal epithelium, and that it may mediate the mucociliary differentiation of human nasal epithelium.     

Identification of proteins differentially expressed during chondrogenesis of mesenchymal cells

We performed comparative proteome analysis of mesenchymal cells and chondrocytes to identify proteins differentially expressed during chondrogenesis. Nine such proteins were identified. Type II collagen, matrilin-1, carbonic anhydrase-II (CA-II), 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) synthetase-2, and aldo-keto reductase were increased during chondrogenesis, whereas cellular retinoic acid binding protein-I (CRABP-I), CRABP-II, cytoplasmic type 5 actin, and fatty acid binding protein were decreased or almost disappeared. Expression of type II collagen, matrilin-1, PAPS synthetase-2, and CA-II was regulated by extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase, protein kinase C, and p38 kinase, signaling molecules known to regulate chondrogenesis.     

Induction of calbindin-D9k messenger RNA and protein by maternal exposure to alkylphenols during late pregnancy in maternal and neonatal uteri of rats

Environmental chemicals are proposed to possess hormone-like properties, such as mimicking natural hormones, inhibiting the action of hormones, and inducing abnormal gene expression. Among environmental chemicals, the alkylphenol products (APs), octylphenol (OP) and nonylphenol (NP), are derived from alkylphenol ethoxylates and have been reported to be environmentally persistent. Thus, in the present study, we examined the effect of two APs, OP and NP, on the expression of Calbindin-D(9k) (CaBP-9k) following maternal exposure during late pregnancy in maternal and fetal uteri. Treatment with a high dose (600 mg/kg body weight [BW]) of OP and NP resulted in an induction of CaBP-9k mRNA at Day 5 of lactation, as did a single treatment with diethylstilbestrol (DES) and 17beta-estradiol (E2) in maternal uteri. The expression of CaBP-9k mRNA was also induced following treatment with a high dose (600 mg/kg BW) of OP, transferred from the mother, exposed to fetuses during late pregnancy, and persisted through Day 5 of lactation. It is of interest that treatments with high doses of OP (400 and 600 mg/kg BW) reduced the expression of maternal estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) mRNA, as E2 did. However, all doses of NP resulted in an inhibition of neonatal ERalpha, while only the high does of OP (600 mg/kg BW) induced the reduction of neonatal ERalpha mRNA expression, as E2 did. Parallel to mRNA, the expression of CaBP-9k protein was significantly induced by treatment with a high dose of OP and NP. In conclusion, maternal exposure to APs, OP and NP, during late pregnancy increased the expressions of CaBP-9k mRNA and protein in maternal and neonatal uteri. These results suggest that the absorption and distribution of environmental estrogenic compounds in maternal and neonatal uteri are extremely rapid, and these chemicals can easily pass though the placenta during pregnancy to affect functions of neonatal reproductive tissues.     

Purification and characterization of a 28-kDa major protein from ginseng root

A major protein was isolated from ginseng root (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) using a combination of ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration chromatography, ion-exchange FPLC, and fast performance liquid chromatofocusing. Electrophoretic and gel permeation chromatographic studies revealed that the major protein, GMP, is composed of two subunits of approximately 28 kDa. During purification, it was found that the elution profiles of GMP from gel filtration chromatography were significantly different, depending on the ionic strength of buffers used. GMP in a buffer of low ionic strength was isolated as a complex with carbohydrate, which could be only dissociated at high ionic strength. Carbohydrate composition in GMP detected by gas chromatography varied, depending on the isolation method of the protein from ginseng roots. These results suggest that carbohydrates are bound non-covalently to GMP whose amino acid composition analysis showed high amounts of acidic amino acids.     

A quantitative analysis of the thermal properties of porcine liver with glycerol at subzero and cryogenic temperatures

There is a lack of information on the effect of cryoprotective agents (CPAs) on the thermal properties of biomaterials at cryobiologically relevant temperatures (i.e. <233.15 K, −40 °C). Thermal properties that are of most interest include: thermal conductivity, density, specific heat, and latent heat resulting from phase change in tissue systems. Availability of such information would be beneficial for accurate mathematical modeling of cryobiological applications. Recently, we reported these thermal properties in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) with varying concentrations of glycerol, a widely used cryoprotective agent. In this study we extend these results by assessing the effects of glycerol on the thermal properties of porcine liver at subzero temperatures. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to measure the specific heat and the latent heat release of porcine liver immersed in PBS and varying concentrations of glycerol. The specific heat data obtained from the DSC experiments were also used to predict the bulk thermal conductivity. This was done using a transient heat transfer model with a thermistor probe technique. Results show that the introduction of glycerol significantly alters thermal properties from known values for H₂O and non-treated liver. Therefore, inaccuracies in thermal predictions can be expected due to the application of measured vs. predicted thermal properties such as from weight averaging. This supports the need for these and other measurements of biomaterial thermal properties, with and without CPA addition, in the cryogenic regime.     

Comparative proteomic study of arsenic-induced differentially expressed proteins in rice roots reveals glutathione plays a central role during As stress

While the phytotoxic responses of arsenic (As) on plants have been studied extensively, based on physiological and biochemical aspects, very little is known about As stress-elicited changes in plants at the proteome level. Hydroponically grown 2-wk-old rice seedlings were exposed to different doses of arsenate, and roots were collected after 4 days of treatment, as well as after a recovery period. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the precise mechanisms underlying As toxicity, metabolism, and the defense reactions in plants, a comparative proteomic analysis of rice roots has been conducted in combination with physiological and biochemical analyses. Arsenic treatment resulted in increases of As accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and in vivo H(2)O(2) contents in roots. A total of 23 As-regulated proteins including predicted and novel ones were identified using 2-DE coupled with MS analyses. The expression levels of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (SAMS), GSTs, cysteine synthase (CS), GST-tau, and tyrosine-specific protein phosphatase proteins (TSPP) were markedly up-regulated in response to arsenate, whereas treatment by H(2)O(2) also regulated the levels of CS suggesting that its expression was certainly regulated by As or As-induced oxidative stress. In addition, an omega domain containing GST was induced only by arsenate. However, it was not altered by treatment of arsenite, copper, or aluminum, suggesting that it may play a particular role in arsenate stress. Analysis of the total glutathione (GSH) content and enzymatic activity of glutathione reductase (GR) in rice roots during As stress revealed that their activities respond in a dose-dependent manner of As. These results suggest that SAMS, CS, GSTs, and GR presumably work synchronously wherein GSH plays a central role in protecting cells against As stress.