Hepatocyte-specific deletion of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) protects against diet-induced steatohepatitis and glucose intolerance

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the leading cause of chronic liver disease and is now considered to be the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. However, the role of steatosis per se and the precise factors required in the progression to steatohepatitis or insulin resistance remain elusive. The JAK-STAT pathway is critical in mediating signaling of a wide variety of cytokines and growth factors. Mice with hepatocyte-specific deletion of Janus kinase 2 (L-JAK2 KO mice) develop spontaneous steatosis as early as 2 weeks of age. In this study, we investigated the metabolic consequences of jak2 deletion in response to diet-induced metabolic stress. To our surprise, despite the profound hepatosteatosis, deletion of hepatic jak2 did not sensitize the liver to accelerated inflammatory injury on a prolonged high fat diet (HFD). This was accompanied by complete protection against HFD-induced whole-body insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Improved glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and an increase in β-cell mass were also present in these mice. Moreover, L-JAK2 KO mice had progressively reduced adiposity in association with blunted hepatic growth hormone signaling. These mice also exhibited increased resting energy expenditure on both chow and high fat diet. In conclusion, our findings indicate a key role of hepatic JAK2 in metabolism such that its absence completely arrests steatohepatitis development and confers protection against diet-induced systemic insulin resistance and glucose intolerance.     

Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase IIα (αCaMKII) Controls the Activity of the Dopamine Transporter: IMPLICATIONS FOR ANGELMAN SYNDROME

The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a crucial regulator of dopaminergic neurotransmission, controlling the length and brevity of dopaminergic signaling. DAT is also the primary target of psychostimulant drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines. Conversely, methylphenidate and amphetamine are both used clinically in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. The action of amphetamines, which induce transport reversal, relies primarily on the ionic composition of the intra- and extracellular milieus. Recent findings suggest that DAT interacting proteins may also play a significant role in the modulation of reverse dopamine transport. The pharmacological inhibition of the serine/threonine kinase αCaMKII attenuates amphetamine-triggered DAT-mediated 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)) efflux. More importantly, αCaMKII has also been shown to bind DAT in vitro and is therefore believed to be an important player within the DAT interactome. Herein, we show that αCaMKII co-immunoprecipitates with DAT in mouse striatal synaptosomes. Mice, which lack αCaMKII or which express a permanently self-inhibited αCaMKII (αCaMKII(T305D)), exhibit significantly reduced amphetamine-triggered DAT-mediated MPP(+) efflux. Additionally, we investigated mice that mimic a neurogenetic disease known as Angelman syndrome. These mice possess reduced αCaMKII activity. Angelman syndrome mice demonstrated an impaired DAT efflux function, which was comparable with that of the αCaMKII mutant mice, indicating that DAT-mediated dopaminergic signaling is affected in Angelman syndrome.     

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and gender differences

In a comparative study, involving 500 subjects with 294 males and 206 females aged 30 years and above, data were collected from NIMS (National Institute of Medical Sciences) hospital and research centre and controls from the general population whose age and sex were matched with subjects during the years 2010 - 2011. Metabolic syndrome was present both in women and men corresponding to 29% and 23% of the women's and men's sample, respectively. The prevalence was higher in women than in men. In women, elevated BMI, low HDL cholesterol, increased waist circumference and hyperglycemia were significantly larger contributors to the metabolic syndrome while in men these were hypertension and elevated triglycerides. The contribution of several metabolic components to the metabolic syndrome is different in men and women. This might contribute to gender specific differences in the relative risk of metabolic complications such as insulin resistance.     

纤毛疾病和与之相关的基因

近年来,研究发现纤毛在生成或者形态的缺陷均能导致新生儿遗传性疾病。与其他细胞器不同的是,纤毛这一小的毛发状细胞器能在几乎所有的极性细胞表面上生成,而且功能非常多样化。纤毛在调节脊椎动物的发育和内环境的平衡起着相当重要的作用,而与纤毛相关基因的缺失则与一系列疾病相关,包括:Nephronophthisis、Joubert综合症、Meckel-Gruber综合症和BardetBiedl综合症等。结合最近的研究,本文主要对四类主纤毛相关疾病的基因进行归类总结。     

代谢调衡饮治疗代谢综合征的临床疗效观察

目的:考察代谢调衡饮治疗代谢综合征的临床疗效。方法:将60例代谢综合征患者随机分为试验组和对照组,对照组口服卡托普利和二甲双胍,试验组在此基础上加服代谢调衡饮,疗程3个月,观察两组治疗前后体重指数、血压、血糖、血脂等指标变化。结果:试验组有效率明显高于对照组(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,试验组患者治疗后体重指数、血压、血糖、血脂指标改善更明显(P<0.05 or P<0.01)。结论:代谢调衡饮对代谢综合征患者具有减重降压,降糖调脂功效,是干预代谢调衡饮的有效方剂。     

Association of the ACE-II genotype with the risk of nephrotic syndrome in Pakistani children

Nephrotic syndrome is a common pediatric glomerular disease associated with heavy proteinuria. Since, the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism is a putative genetic risk factor for NS, in this study, ACE (I/D) polymorphism was analyzed in 268 NS and 223 control samples by a PCR-based method. The genotypic and allelic frequencies were determined and the association between ACE I/D polymorphism and NS was evaluated. The frequency distribution of the II, ID and DD genotypes was 82 (30.6%), 128 (47.8%) and 58 (21.6%) in the NS patients and 9 (4.0%), 171 (76.7%) and 43 (19.3%) in the control samples respectively. In the Pakistani pediatric NS population, the II genotypic and allelic frequencies were found to be significantly associated with the disease (OR = 6.755; C.I = 3-14.9). No significant association was found between this polymorphism and the response to standard steroid therapy. Thus, in contrast to reports from other parts of the world, the II genotype was found to be significantly associated with NS in the Indian and Malay populations and in the Pakistani population described here. To our knowledge, this is the first report from Pakistan describing the association of the ACE I/D polymorphism with pediatric NS. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that analysis of the ACE (I/D) polymorphism should be performed for the early diagnosis in the high risk NS patients in South Asia.     

Studying fatty aldehyde metabolism in living cells with pyrene-labeled compounds

The lack of fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase function in Sjögren Larsson Syndrome (SLS) patient cells not only impairs the conversion of fatty aldehydes into their corresponding fatty acid but also has an effect on connected pathways. Alteration of the lipid profile in these cells is thought to be responsible for severe symptoms such as ichtyosis, mental retardation, and spasticity. Here we present a novel approach to examine fatty aldehyde metabolism in a time-dependent manner by measuring pyrene-labeled fatty aldehyde, fatty alcohol, fatty acid, and alkylglycerol in the culture medium of living cells using HPLC separation and fluorescence detection. Our results show that in fibroblasts from SLS patients, fatty aldehyde is not accumulating but is converted readily into fatty alcohol. In control cells, in contrast, exclusively the corresponding fatty acid is formed. SLS patient cells did not display a hypersensitivity toward hexadecanal or hexadecanol, but 3-fold lower concentrations of the fatty alcohol than the corresponding fatty aldehyde were needed to induce toxicity in SLS patient and in control cells.     

SARS冠状病毒M蛋白的生物信息学研究

针对GenBank上发布的来自不同国家地区的39条SARSCoV推测M蛋白,采用生物信息学软件分析其核酸和氨基酸序列,获得其分子生物学特征,确定突变位点,预测功能结构区、Motif及抗原决定簇,比较基因突变对这些功能结构的影响.结果表明:在39个病毒株M蛋白的666 bp中,共有18个病毒株在7个位点上发生了25次变异.在M蛋白序列上预测获得3个跨膜螺旋序列和一个可能的信号肽序列.氨基酸序列的变异主要发生在其跨膜和胞外区域,胞内区域相对较少.预测发现12个Motif和7个抗原决定簇.提示突变对M蛋白的结构功能区的影响不大,也未造成M蛋白的Motif的数量和构成发生改变.对抗原决定簇的影响也主要体现在序列成分构成的改变上,在设计疫苗时,应考虑由其导致的抗原特性改变.     

猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒M蛋白介导的E蛋白假型鼠白血病病毒的构建

利用RT-PCR法扩增猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(PRRSV)ORF5和ORF6基因,分别构建pcDNA-ORF5、pcD-NA-ORF5/6和pcDNA-ORF5-ORF6真核表达载体,磷酸钙共沉淀法瞬时转染293T细胞,48h后收集细胞,流式细胞仪检测,结果表明:PRRSV ORF5基因编码囊膜蛋白(E蛋白)能在在293T细胞表面表达,而由共表达M蛋白(ORF6基因编码的基质蛋白)介导的E蛋白的表达量比单独E蛋白表达量高,串联表达与单独E蛋白相比较低.将pcDNA-ORF5、pcDNA-ORF5/6和pcDNA-ORF5-ORF6分别与MuLV假病毒构建体系的两种骨架载体pHIT60(包括MuLV的结构蛋白基因,即gag和pol)和pHITlll(为MuLV的基因组,还包括一个报告基因LacZ)瞬时共转染293T细胞,48h后收集假病毒上清,超速离心后通过Western blot证实E蛋白能够在此假病毒颗粒表面表达,证明E蛋白已整合到此假病毒粒子表面.将整合PRRSVE蛋白的假病毒粒子分别感染Marc-145和PAM宿主靶细胞,均能检测到LacZ基因的表达,结果表明:所构建的假病毒粒子具有感染性,且由M蛋白介导的MuLv-E/M感染性比MuLV-E假病毒感染性高.