Genome-wide association studies of the PR interval in African Americans

The PR interval on the electrocardiogram reflects atrial and atrioventricular nodal conduction time. The PR interval is heritable, provides important information about arrhythmia risk, and has been suggested to differ among human races. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified common genetic determinants of the PR interval in individuals of European and Asian ancestry, but there is a general paucity of GWA studies in individuals of African ancestry. We performed GWA studies in African American individuals from four cohorts (n = 6,247) to identify genetic variants associated with PR interval duration. Genotyping was performed using the Affymetrix 6.0 microarray. Imputation was performed for 2.8 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using combined YRI and CEU HapMap phase II panels. We observed a strong signal (rs3922844) within the gene encoding the cardiac sodium channel (SCN5A) with genome-wide significant association (p<2.5×10⁻⁸) in two of the four cohorts and in the meta-analysis. The signal explained 2% of PR interval variability in African Americans (beta  = 5.1 msec per minor allele, 95% CI  = 4.1–6.1, p = 3×10⁻²³). This SNP was also associated with PR interval (beta = 2.4 msec per minor allele, 95% CI = 1.8–3.0, p = 3×10⁻¹⁶) in individuals of European ancestry (n = 14,042), but with a smaller effect size (p for heterogeneity <0.001) and variability explained (0.5%). Further meta-analysis of the four cohorts identified genome-wide significant associations with SNPs in SCN10A (rs6798015), MEIS1 (rs10865355), and TBX5 (rs7312625) that were highly correlated with SNPs identified in European and Asian GWA studies. African ancestry was associated with increased PR duration (13.3 msec, p = 0.009) in one but not the other three cohorts. Our findings demonstrate the relevance of common variants to African Americans at four loci previously associated with PR interval in European and Asian samples and identify an association signal at one of these loci that is more strongly associated with PR interval in African Americans than in Europeans.     

COPD大鼠模型在不同时期细胞转录因子NF-κB变化及意义

目的：建立分别由吸烟以及气管内滴注脂多糖导致慢性阻塞性肺病小鼠模型,并研究核因子-κB在（COPD）的作用。方法：我们将50只wistar鼠随机分成2组,1组为正常对照组,2组为COPD进展组。COPD进展组又进一步分为暴露香烟烟雾及气管内滴注脂多糖1周、2周、3周、4周、5周。预备好的小鼠被解剖观察,肉眼观察小鼠外形及肺组织标本,显微镜下观察肺脏的病理改变。分析PH、氧分压、二氧化碳分压,NF-κB的活性被测量。结果：COPD小鼠模型肺组织的病理改变如同COPD患者,不同暴露组的实验小鼠细胞总数结果表明,实验小鼠COPD肺组织的病理改变和人类COPD的病理改变是一致的。动脉血气分析结果显示暴露与烟雾及气管内滴注脂多糖4周的小鼠与正常对照组比较血PH、氧分压是降低的,而二氧化碳分压是升高的。结论：NF-κB在促进肺部炎症反应中起着重要的作用,通过活化肿瘤坏死因子及肺泡巨噬细胞。     

COPD大鼠模型在不同时期细胞转录因子NF-kB变化及意义(英文)

目的:建立分别由吸烟以及气管内滴注脂多糖导致慢性阻塞性肺病小鼠模型,并研究核因子-κB在(COPD)的作用。方法:我们将50只wistar鼠随机分成2组,1组为正常对照组,2组为COPD进展组。COPD进展组又进一步分为暴露香烟烟雾及气管内滴注脂多糖1周、2周、3周、4周、5周。预备好的小鼠被解剖观察,肉眼观察小鼠外形及肺组织标本,显微镜下观察肺脏的病理改变。分析PH、氧分压、二氧化碳分压,NF-kB的活性被测量。结果:COPD小鼠模型肺组织的病理改变如同COPD患者,不同暴露组的实验小鼠细胞总数结果表明,实验小鼠COPD肺组织的病理改变和人类COPD的病理改变是一致的。动脉血气分析结果显示暴露与烟雾及气管内滴注脂多糖4周的小鼠与正常对照组比较血PH、氧分压是降低的,而二氧化碳分压是升高的。结论:NF-kB在促进肺部炎症反应中起着重要的作用,通过活化肿瘤坏死因子及肺泡巨噬细胞。     

Effect of sex and ovarian hormones on carotid baroreflex resetting and function during dynamic exercise in humans

To date, no studies have examined whether there are either sex- or ovarian hormone-related alterations in arterial baroreflex resetting and function during dynamic exercise. Thus we studied 16 young men and 18 young women at rest and during leg cycling at 50% heart rate (HR) reserve. In addition, 10 women were studied at three different phases of the menstrual cycle. Five-second pulses of neck pressure (NP) and neck suction (NS) from +40 to -80 Torr were applied to determine full carotid baroreflex (CBR) stimulus response curves. An upward and rightward resetting of the CBR function curve was observed during exercise in all groups with a similar magnitude of CBR resetting for mean arterial pressure (MAP) and HR between sexes (P > 0.05) and at different phases of the menstrual cycle (P > 0.05). For CBR control of MAP, women exhibited augmented pressor responses to NP at rest and exercise during mid-luteal compared with early and late follicular phases. For CBR control of HR, there was a greater bradycardic response to NS in women across all menstrual cycle phases with the operating point (OP) located further away from centering point (CP) on the CBR-HR curve during rest (OP-CP; in mmHg: -13 ± 3 women vs. -3 ± 3 men; P < 0.05) and exercise (in mmHg: -31 ± 2 women vs. -15 ± 3 men; P < 0.05). Collectively, these findings suggest that sex and fluctuations in ovarian hormones do not influence exercise resetting of the baroreflex. However, women exhibited greater CBR control of HR during exercise, specifically against acute hypertension, an effect that was present throughout the menstrual cycle.     

Ring Hydroxylation of p-Chlorophenylacetate by an Arthrobacter Strain

Resting cell suspensions of a strain of Arthrobacter grown on phenylacetate converted p-chlorophenylacetate to two products. One of the products was identified as 4-chloro-3-hydroxyphenylacetate.     

Transient association of MCM complex proteins with the nuclear matrix during initiation of mammalian DNA replication

The minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM2-7) is the putative DNA helicase in eukaryotes, and essential for DNA replication. By applying serial extractions to mammalian cells synchronized by release from quiescence, we reveal dynamic changes to the sub-nuclear compartmentalization of MCM2 as cells pass through late G1 and early S phase, identifying a brief window when MCM2 becomes transiently attached to the nuclear-matrix. The data distinguish 3 states that correspond to loose association with chromatin prior to DNA replication, transient highly stable binding to the nuclear-matrix coincident with initiation, and a post-initiation phase when MCM2 remains tightly associated with chromatin but not the nuclear-matrix. The data suggests that functional MCM complex loading takes place at the nuclear-matrix.     

Censusing the mountain gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes: complete sweep method versus monitoring

The mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) of the Virunga Volcanoes Range of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are one of the most endangered ape populations in the world. Following a dramatic decline during the 1960s, and relative stability in the 1970s, the population steadily increased during the 1980s. Due to political instability and war, a complete census had not been conducted since 1989. Here we compare the results of a complete census using the ‘sweep method’ conducted in 2003 with those from a monitoring program, to estimate the size and distribution of the gorilla population. A total of 360 gorillas were counted from census measurements and known habituated groups. Based on quantitative assessments of the census accuracy, we calculated that an additional 20 gorillas were not counted, leading to an estimated population of 380 individuals, and a 1.15% annual growth rate since 1989. The Ranger Based Monitoring programme yielded similar results. The encouraging results must be viewed with caution, however, because the growth was concentrated almost entirely in one section of the Virungas. Additionally, the distribution of gorilla groups was negatively correlated with the frequency of human disturbances, which highlights the need to continue strengthening conservation efforts.