<Superscript>1</Superscript>H NMR metabolic profiling of gastric cancer patients with lymph node metastasis

Introduction

Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor worldwide. As primary pathway for metastasis, the lymphatic system is an important prognostic factor for GC patients. Although the metabolic changes of gastric cancer have been investigated in extensive studies, little effort focused on the metabolic profiling of lymph node metastasis (LNM)-positive or negative GC patients.

Objectives

We performed ¹H NMR spectrum of GC tissue samples with and without LNM to identify novel potential metabolic biomarkers in the process of LNM of GC.

Methods

¹H NMR-based untargeted metabolomics approach combined with multivariate statistical analyses were used to study the metabolic profiling of tissue samples from LNM-positive GC patients (n?=?40), LNM-negative GC patients (n?=?40) and normal controls (n?=?40).

Results

There was a clear separation between GC patients and normal controls, and 33 differential metabolites were identified in the study. Moreover, GC patients were also well-classified according to LNM-positive or negative. Totally eight distinguishing metabolites were selected in the metabolic profiling of GC patients with LNM-positive or negative, suggesting the metabolic dysfunction in the process of LNM. According to further validation and analysis, especially BCAAs metabolism (leucine, isoleucine, valine), GSH and betaine may be as potential factors of diagnose and prognosis of GC patients with or without LNM.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first metabolomics study focusing on LNM of GC. The identified distinguishing metabolites showed a promising application on clinical diagnose and therapy prediction, and understanding the mechanism underlying the carcinogenesis, invasion and metastasis of GC.

     

Inhibition of miR-21-5p suppresses high glucose-induced proliferation and angiogenesis of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells by the regulation of AKT and ERK pathways via maspin

The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of miR-21-5p in angiogenesis of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs). HRMECs were incubated with 5 mM glucose, 30 mM glucose or 30 mM mannitol for 24 h, 48 h or 72 h. Then, HRMECs exposed to 30 mM glucose were transfected with miR-21-5p inhibitor. We found that high glucose increased the expression of miR-21-5p, VEGF, VEGFR2 and cell proliferation activity. Inhibition of miR-21-5p reduced high glucose-induced proliferation, migration, tube formation of HRMECs, and reversed the decreased expression of maspin as well as the abnormal activation of PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways. Down-regulation of maspin by siRNA significantly increased the activities of PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways. In conclusion, inhibition of miR-21-5p could suppress high glucose-induced proliferation and angiogenesis of HRMECs, and these effects may partly dependent on the regulation of PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways via its target protein maspin.     

Disruption of Ssp411 causes impaired sperm head formation and male sterility in mice

Background

We previously cloned the Ssp411 gene. We found that the Ssp411 protein is predominantly expressed in elongated spermatids in the rat testis in a stage-dependent manner. Although our findings strongly suggested that Ssp411 might play an important role in mammalian spermatogenesis, this hypothesis has not been studied.

陕西省退耕还林植被覆盖度与湿润指数的变化关系

使用MODIS-NDVI数据和气象站点资料,通过GIS遥感技术和数理统计等方法,分析了陕西省退耕还林后(2000—2012年)植被覆盖度与湿润指数的时空变化规律及两者变化的关系。结果表明,陕西省植被覆盖度和湿润指数都呈现由南向北递减的分布规律并且有明显的季节变化特征。2000—2012年,陕西省植被覆盖度在波动中呈现大幅增加的趋势,陕北地区增加最为显著,生态环境得到明显改善,然而部分城市周边地区植被有退化的迹象。2000—2012年湿润指数年际变化波动较大,有上升的趋势,陕南地区增加显著。空间分布上随着植被覆盖度的增加湿润指数呈指数变化趋势,相关性与植被覆盖度面积取值范围有关,范围取值越大相关系数越高。植被覆盖度的年际变化受到气候和人为因素影响,陕南地区植被覆盖度与湿润指数的相关性较显著,而受到人为影响比较明显的陕北、关中地区相关性不显著。     

区域水安全格局构建:研究进展及概念框架

随着全球变化背景下生态安全问题的日益严峻,生态安全格局研究成为宏观生态学关注的热点领域;水作为重要的自然生态要素,其安全格局的构建也是区域生态安全格局优化的重要组成部分,但目前其基本内涵、构建理论与方法、指标体系等尚未受到足够重视,缺乏系统梳理。在对比分析资源、环境与灾害等多学科视角下水安全概念异同的基础上,明晰了区域水安全格局的概念内涵,将其定义为保障区域水安全目标的土地利用空间格局;系统探讨了水安全格局构建历程与方法研究进展,指出水安全研究正由定量评价向空间管控转型,水环境安全格局构建严重滞后,缺乏水安全格局与自然生态过程、社会经济过程的耦合关联分析;最后,基于景观生态学格局-过程互馈理论和地理学区域综合视角,以GIS空间分析、In VEST模型等为技术支撑,构建了水资源安全、水环境安全和水灾害规避安全3个单一维度的水安全格局,并提出基于空间多准则分析模型的区域综合水安全格局构建概念框架,以期有效提升中国城市化进程的水安全格局保障。     

苹果果实β-半乳糖苷酶基因启动子的克隆与功能分析

根据已发表的苹果基因组序列设计特异引物,克隆得到苹果品种‘嘎拉’中β-半乳糖苷酶基因(Md-gal)的启动子。序列分析表明,该启动子除含有大多数高等植物启动子具有的保守元件外,还含有大量光响应元件和与激素相关的顺式作用元件,主要有赤霉素响应元件(GARE-motif和P-box)、茉莉酸甲酯(MeJA)应答元件(CGTCA-motif和TGACG-motif)和生长素响应元件(TGA-element);构建5个不同长度Md-gal启动子和GUS基因融合的瞬时表达载体,并进行苹果果实和烟草叶片转化试验,结果显示,5个启动子均具有启动子活性,在Md-gal启动子序列中激活与抑制调节元件并存,正调控元件位于-1206~-754bp区域,负调控元件位于-754~-597bp区域;对Md-gal启动子进行激素响应分析结果显示,激素处理可对其产生诱导作用,且MeJA处理后GUS活性最高。研究表明,Md-gal启动子具有真核基因启动子的基本结构特征和正负调控特性,可响应外源激素处理,可能在苹果果实生长发育和成熟软化方面具有一定的作用。