A Double‐Edged Sword: Complement Component 3 in Toxoplasma gondii Infection

Sprague Dawley rats and Kunming (KM) mice are artificially infected with type II Toxoplasma gondii strain Prugniaud (Pru) to generate toxoplasmosis, which is a fatal disease mediated by T. gondii invasion of the central nervous system (CNS) by unknown mechanisms. The aim is to explore the mechanism of differential susceptibility of mice and rats to T. gondii infection. Therefore, a strategy of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) is established to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the rats’ and the mice's brains compared to the healthy groups. In KM mice, which is susceptible to T. gondii infection, complement component 3 (C3) is upregulated and the tight junction (TJ) pathway shows a disorder. It is presumed that T. gondii‐stimulated C3 disrupts the TJ of the blood–brain barrier in the CNS. This effect allows more T. gondii passing to the brain through the intercellular space.     

基于机器学习的医学影像分析在药物研发和精准医疗方面的应用

MRI,PET,和CT等医学影像在新药研发和精准医疗中起着越来越重要的作用。影像技术可以被用来诊断疾病,评估药效,选择适应患者,或者确定用药剂量。 随着人工智能技术的发展,特别是机器学习以及深度学习技术在医学影像中的应用,使得我们可以用更短的时间,更少的放射剂量获取更高质量的影像。这些技术还可以帮助放射科医生缩短读片时间,提高诊断准确率。除此之外,机器学习技术还可以提高量化分析的可行性和精度,帮助建立影像与基因以及疾病的临床表现之间的关系。首先根据不同形态的医学影像,简单介绍他们在药物研发和精准医疗中的应用。并对机器学习在医学影像中的功能作一概括总结。最后讨论这个领域的挑战和机遇。     

Construction of an efficient genomic editing system with CRISPR/Cas9 in the vector mosquito Aedes albopictus

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is a mosquito which originated in Asia. In recent years, it has become increasingly rampant throughout the world. This mosquito can transmit several arboviruses, including dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses, and is considered a public health threat. Despite the urgent need of genome engineering to analyze specific gene functions, progress in genetical manipulation of Ae. albopictus has been slow due to a lack of efficient methods and genetic markers. In the present study, we established targeted disruptions in two genes, kynurenine hydroxylase (kh) and dopachrome conversion enzyme (yellow), to analyze the feasibility of generating visible phenotypes with genome editing by the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/ CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system in Ae. albopictus. Following Cas9 single guide RNA ribonucleoprotein injection into the posterior end of pre-blastoderm embryos, 30%-50% of fertile survivors produced alleles that failed to complement existing kh and yellow mutations. Complete eye and body pigmentation defects were readily observed in GI pupae and adults, indicating successful generation of highly heritable mutations. We conclude that the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing system can be used mAe. albopictus and that it can be adopted as an efficient tool for genome-scale analysis and biological study.     

健脾安肠汤联合匹维溴胺治疗肠易激综合征的临床疗效及对血清5-HT、CGRP、SP、VIP水平的影响

目的:探讨健脾安肠汤联合匹维溴胺治疗肠易激综合征的临床疗效及对血清5-羟色胺(5-HT)、降钙素基因相关肽(CGRP)、结肠黏膜P物质(SP)、血管活性肠态(VIP)水平的影响。方法:选择2017年1月至2017年12月本院接诊的98例肠易激综合征患者作为研究对象,按随机数表法分为观察组(n=45)和对照组(n=53),对照组单纯采用匹维溴胺进行治疗,观察组在此基础上联合健脾安肠汤进行治疗。比较两组患者的临床疗效及治疗前后胃肠症状改善情况、血清5-HT、CGRP、SP、VIP水平、炎性因子水平、焦虑(SAS)、抑郁(SDS)评分的变化。结果:治疗后,观察组总有效率(93.33%)心脏高于对照组(71.70%,P0.05);观察组患者恶心呕吐、腹痛腹泻、排便次数及大便性质症状评分,血清5-HT、CGRP、SP、VIP、IL-8、IL-6水平、焦虑及抑郁评分均明显低于对照组(均P0.05),而血清IL-10水平显著高于对照组(P0.05)。结论:健脾安肠汤联合匹维溴胺治疗肠易激综合征的临床效果显著优于单纯采用匹维溴胺治疗,可有效调节机体胃肠激素分泌和临床症状,提高患者患者生活质量。     

大量可降解锌合金板钉体内埋植的早期生物安全性研究

目的:可降解锌合金材料有适中的降解速率,良好的机械性能。目前对于锌合金的体内生物安全性研究多集中于生物体内植入适量的锌合金材料。对于体内植入大量的可降解锌合金材料是否有不良影响,还未见文献报道。本实验从局部和全身反应来研究埋植过量可降解锌合金的早期生物安全性。方法:选取18只新西兰大白兔分为三组,于皮下植入锌合金内固定板及钉各4、6、8块,于术后3月、6月行大体观察,血常规、血生化、血液微量元素检查,内脏和材料周围组织的组织学检查和ICP-OES定量检测内脏锌含量观察锌的脏器蓄积情况,材料称重计算每日释放锌含量。结果:可吸收锌合金材料表面附着的白色粉末状物质随时间增加而增多,去掉表面白色物质后,材料表面愈加粗糙,术后3月、6月的白细胞计数(WBC),红细胞计数(RBC),谷丙转氨酶(ALT),谷草转氨酶(AST),总蛋白(TP),白蛋白(ALB),尿素氮(BUN),肌酐(Cr),血锌,血镁,血钙、血铜与术前相比无统计学差异。术后6月实验动物材料周围组织,心脏、肝脏、脾脏、肺脏、肾脏、性腺未检出异常。术后3月、6月肝脏、肾脏、脾脏的锌离子含量与术前相比无统计学差异。综合计算得到术后3月可降解锌合金内固定板的降解率为9.77±1.64%,术后6月为11.82±1.91%,螺钉的降解率术后3月为0.79±0.66%,术后6月为2.09±1.00%。结论:大量可降解锌合金植入体内的早期生物相容性良好。     

VKORC1基因rs9923231及GGCX基因rs2592551位点多态性与新疆维吾尔族、汉族人群心源性脑栓塞的相关性研究

目的:探讨维生素K环氧化物还原酶复合体亚单位1(VKORC1)基因rs9923231及γ-谷氨酰羧化酶(GGCX)基因rs2592551位点多态性同新疆维吾尔族和汉族人群发生心源性脑栓塞的关系。方法:选取2017年1月至2018年10月曾就诊于新疆医科大学第六附属医院神经内科的维吾尔族和汉族散发性房颤致脑栓塞患者各50例做为病例组,同时选取非心源性脑卒中维吾尔族患者50名及汉族患者150名为对照组,从外周静脉血中提取基因组DNA,采用PCR-RFLP技术检测VKORC1基因rs9923231及GGCX基因rs2592551多态性位点在不同人群中的分布。结果:维吾尔族脑栓塞组及对照组VKORC1基因rs9923231多态性位点基因型频率分布差异有统计学意义(P0.05);汉族脑栓塞组及对照组VKORC1基因rs9923231多态性位点基因型频率的分布比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。GGCX基因rs2592551多态位点在汉族、维吾尔族脑栓塞组及对照组的分布差异均无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:VKORC1基因rs9923231多态性可能与新疆维吾尔族人群心源性脑栓塞的发病有关,而与汉族人群无关;GGCX基因rs2592551多态性可能与维吾尔族及汉族人群心源性脑栓塞的发病均无关。     

PKD1基因与抑癌基因P53多态性与非综合征性唇腭裂的关联研究

目的:探讨多囊性肾病基因1(polystic kidney disease,PKD1)多态位点rs8049367与抑癌基因P53(anti-oncogene P53)多态位点rs4791774单核苷酸多态性与中国北方人群非综合征性唇腭裂(NSCL/P)的相关性。方法:运用聚合酶链式反应-连接酶检测反应(PCR-LDR)的检测方法,对602例NSCL/P患者和510例对照人群的PKD1基因的rs8049367位点和抑癌基因P53的rs4791774位点进行基因分型。利用SPSS12.0软件分析PKD1基因,抑癌基因P53多态性与NSCL/P的相关性。结果:rs8049367位点和rs4791774位点基因型及基因频率在两组的分布中差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:PKD1基因的rs8049367位点和抑癌基因P53的rs4791774位点单核苷酸多态性可能与中国北方人群非综合征性唇腭裂的发生无相关性。     

Development of Beet necrotic yellow vein virus‐based vectors for multiple‐gene expression and guide RNA delivery in plant genome editing

Many plant viruses with monopartite or bipartite genomes have been developed as efficient expression vectors of foreign recombinant proteins. Nonetheless, due to lack of multiple insertion sites in these plant viruses, it is still a big challenge to simultaneously express multiple foreign proteins in single cells. The genome of Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) offers an attractive system for expression of multiple foreign proteins owning to a multipartite genome composed of five positive‐stranded RNAs. Here, we have established a BNYVV full‐length infectious cDNA clone under the control of the Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. We further developed a set of BNYVV‐based vectors that permit efficient expression of four recombinant proteins, including some large proteins with lengths up to 880 amino acids in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana and native host sugar beet plants. These vectors can be used to investigate the subcellular co‐localization of multiple proteins in leaf, root and stem tissues of systemically infected plants. Moreover, the BNYVV‐based vectors were used to deliver NbPDS guide RNAs for genome editing in transgenic plants expressing Cas9, which induced a photobleached phenotype in systemically infected leaves. Collectively, the BNYVV‐based vectors will facilitate genomic research and expression of multiple proteins, in sugar beet and related crop plants.     

Diosgenin exerts its tumor suppressive function via inhibition of Cdc20 in osteosarcoma cells

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the aggressive malignancies for young adults. Cdc20 (cell division cycle 20 homologue) has been reported to exhibit an oncogenic role in OS, suggesting that inhibition of Cdc20 could be a novel strategy for the treatment of OS. Since Cdc20 inhibitors have side effects, it is important to discover the new CDC20 inhibitors with non-toxic nature. In the present study, we determine whether natural agent diosgenin is an inhibitor of Cdc20 in OS cells. We performed MTT, FACS, Wound healing assay, Transwell, Western blotting, transfection assays in our study. We found diosgenin inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis. Moreover, diosgenin exposure led to inhibition of cell migration and invasion. Notably, diosgenin inhibited the expression of Cdc20 in OS cells. Overexpression of Cdc20 abrogated the inhibition of cell growth and invasion induced by diosgenin. Our data reveal that inhibition of Cdc20 by diosgenin could be helpful for the treatment of patients with OS.     

Structural Evolution Design and Optimization for the Metamaterials with Broadband Frequency-Independent Negative Permeability

Plasmonics - Broadband frequency-independent operations are strongly desired in metamaterial applications. In this work, we unveil the roles of each element acting in the metamaterial unit with a...