Diabetes influences cardiac extracellular matrix remodelling after myocardial infarction and subsequent development of cardiac dysfunction

This study was conducted to examine the influence of acute streptozotocin‐induced diabetes on cardiac remodelling and function in mice subjected to myocardial infarction (MI) by coronary artery ligation. Echocardiography analysis indicated that diabetes induced deleterious cardiac functional changes as demonstrated by the negative differences of ejection fraction, fractional shortening, stroke volume, cardiac output and left ventricular volume 24 hrs after MI. Temporal analysis for up to 2 weeks after MI showed higher mortality in diabetic animals because of cardiac wall rupture. To examine extracellular matrix remodelling, we used fluorescent molecular tomography to conduct temporal studies and observed that total matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in hearts was higher in diabetic animals at 7 and 14 days after MI, which correlated well with the degree of collagen deposition in the infarct area visualized by scanning electron microscopy. Gene arrays indicated temporal changes in expression of distinct MMP isoforms after 1 or 2 weeks after MI, particularly in diabetic mice. Temporal changes in cardiac performance were observed, with a trend of exaggerated dysfunction in diabetic mice up to 14 days after MI. Decreased radial and longitudinal systolic and diastolic strain rates were observed over 14 days after MI, and there was a trend towards altered strain rates in diabetic mouse hearts with dyssynchronous wall motion clearly evident. This correlated with increased collagen deposition in remote areas of these infarcted hearts indicated by Masson's trichrome staining. In summary, temporal changes in extracellular matrix remodelling correlated with exaggerated cardiac dysfunction in diabetic mice after MI.     

Control of proliferation,migration, and invasiveness of human extravillous trophoblast by decorin,a decidual product

Extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells of the human placenta progressively lose their proliferative activity in situ as EVT cell columns migrate into and invade the decidua. It remains unclear whether this is due to a terminal differentiation of EVT cells along the invasive pathway with concomitant loss of proliferative ability, or a negative regulation by decidua-derived factors, or both mechanisms. Our earlier studies provided evidence for a negative regulation by a decidua-derived factor, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, which inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of first-trimester EVT cells in vitro. We further discovered that decidua also produces decorin, a proteoglycan that binds TGF-beta (and in some cases, inactivates TGF-beta), which is colocalized with TGF-beta in the decidual extracellular matrix. The present study used in vitro-propagated EVT cell lines to examine whether EVT cells retain their capacity for proliferation after the process of invasion; and whether decorin exerts any effect on EVT cell proliferation, migration, or invasiveness in a TGF-beta-dependent or TGF-beta-independent manner. We also examined whether trophoblastic cancer (choriocarcinoma) JAR and JEG-3 cells responded to decorin in a similar manner. Proliferation was measured using a colorimetric (MTT) cellularity assay and immunolabeling for the Ki-67 proliferation marker. Migration and invasiveness were measured in transwells by the ability of cells to cross 8-microm pores of polycarbonate membranes in the absence or presence of an additional matrigel barrier. These experiments revealed three points. First, EVT cells retained limited but significant proliferative ability in vitro after invading matrigel. Second, that decorin alone blocked EVT cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. This effect remained unaffected in an additional presence of TGF-beta, which exerted antiproliferative effects on its own. The antiproliferative effect of decorin was explained by an up-regulation of the p21 protein. Third, that decorin alone or TGF-beta alone exerted antimigratory and anti-invasive effects on EVT cells, but the addition of TGF-beta to decorin did not alter decorin action. And fourth, that choriocarcinoma cells were resistant to antiproliferative, antimigratory, and anti-invasive effects of decorin. These results suggest 1) that the invasive function of EVT cells is not associated with a terminal differentiation into a noncycling state; 2) that proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of EVT cells within the decidua are independently controlled by two decidual products, TGF-beta and decorin (decorin in the decidual extracellular matrix may serve as a storage mechanism for TGF-beta in an inactive state and may be activated by EVT cell proteolytic mechanisms, thus preventing overinvasion); and 3) that choriocarcinoma cells are refractory to negative regulation by both decidua-derived factors.     

Prognostic Value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Localized and Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

MethodsWe performed a meta-analysis to determine the predictive value of NLR for overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and clinical features in patients with PCa. We systematically searched PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Embase for relevant studies published up to October 2015.ResultsA total of 9418 patients from 18 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Elevated pretreatment NLR predicted poor OS (HR 1.628, 95% CI 1.410–1.879) and RFS (HR 1.357, 95% CI 1.126–1.636) in all patients with PCa. However, NLR was insignificantly associated with OS in the subgroup of patients with localized PCa (HR 1.439, 95% CI 0.753–2.75). Increased NLR was also significantly correlated with lymph node involvement (OR 1.616, 95% CI 1.167–2.239) but not with pathological stage (OR 0.827, 95% CI 0.637–1.074) or Gleason score (OR 0.761, 95% CI 0.555–1.044).ConclusionsThe present meta-analysis indicated that NLR could predict the prognosis for patients with locally advanced or castration-resistant PCa. Patients with higher NLR are more likely to have poorer prognosis than those with lower NLR.     

Investigation of Optical Spectrum Properties of Hexagonal Boron Nitride from Metal to Dielectric Transition

Plasmonics - Hexagonal boron nitride as a natural hyperbolic material has attracted lots of attention recently. Here, we investigate numerically the optical spectrum properties of hexagonal boron...     

芦苇（Phragmites communis Trin．）生物生产力及其对大气CO＿2加浓的响应

本文对上海浦东东海海滩上［３１°１＇Ｎ］芦苇植被自堤至海水边各地段的生物生产力、生长特性及土壤状况作了测定。其平均生物生产力为２．０７４±０．５５４ｋｇｍ￣（－２）ａ￣（－１）,其中地上部和地下部生物量分别为１．４３３±０．３８２和０．６４１±０．５６６ｋｇｍ￣（－２）ａ￣（－１）。观察了自芦苇出土起,大气ＣＯ＿２浓度加倍对芦苇生长的影响。结果表明,处理４４ｄ后植株叶面积和比叶重相应提高,生物生产力比对照增加５３．７％,其光合产物主要分配在地上部分。试验结束时,ＣＯ＿２加浓处理的叶片叶绿素含量和在正常空气中的光合速率与对照相似。     

A method to construct cDNA library of the entomopathogenic fungus, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Metarhizium anisopliae</Emphasis>, in the hemolymph of the infected locust

A method was developed to construct cDNA library of pathogenic fungus in the blood of the infected insect for cloning the fungal genes expressed in the host. This method is designed to take advantage of the obvious difference between the cell structures and components of the pathogen cells and that of the host cells. The host blood cells only have cell membrane, which can be disrupted by using SDS/proteinase K (PK). The fungal cells grown in the animal blood have cell wall, which can protect the fungal cell from the disruption of SDS/proteinase K (PK). By this method, the blood cells were disrupted by SDS/proteinase K (PK) and then the released animal RNA and DNA were digested completely with RNase and DNase. Therefore, the fungi grown in the blood were harvested without any contamination of host RNA and DNA. The pure fungi harvested from the infected blood can be used for mRNA extraction and cDNA library construction. The purity of the fungal mRNA was confirmed by PCR and RT-PCR with specific primer pairs for the host and specific primer pairs for the fungus, respectively, and the clones of cDNA library constructed by using the fungal mRNA was also analyzed. The results showed that there was no detectable contaminated insect DNA or RNA existing in the fungal mRNA. Randomly selected cDNA clones from cDNA library were sequenced and analyzed against GenBank using Blastx; no selected sequences had significant similarity with insects’ genes in comparison with the data of GenBank. The results further confirmed that the method to purify the pathogenic fungus from the host animal is reliable and the mRNA extracted from the fungus is eligible for cDNA library construction, and other molecular analysis including RT-PCR. This method may be applied to other pathogenic fungi and their host animals.     

Application of the entomogenous fungus,Metarhizium anisopliae,for leafroller (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) control and its effect on rice phyllosphere microbial diversity

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Microbial pesticides form critical components of integrated pest management (IPM) practices. Little, however, is known regarding the impacts of these...     

An eceriferum locus, cer-zv, is associated with a defect in cutin responsible for water retention in barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves

Drought limits plant growth and threatens crop productivity. A barley (Hordeum vulgare) ethylene imine-induced monogenic recessive mutant cer-zv, which is sensitive to drought, was characterized and genetically mapped in the present study. Detached leaves of cer-zv lost 34.2 % of their initial weight after 1 h of dehydration. The transpiration was much higher in cer-zv leaves than in wild-type leaves under both light and dark conditions. The stomata of cer-zv leaves functioned normally, but the cuticle of cer-zv leaves showed increased permeability to ethanol and toluidine blue dye. There was a 50–90 % reduction in four major cutin monomers, but no reduction in wax loads was found in the cer-zv mutant as compared with the wild type. Two F₂ mapping populations were established by the crosses of 23-19 × cer-zv and cer-zv × OUH602. More polymorphisms were found in EST sequences between cer-zv and OUH602 than between cer-zv and 23-19. cer-zv was located in a pericentromeric region on chromosome 4H in a 10.8 cM interval in the 23-19 × cer-zv map based on 186 gametes tested and a 1.7 cM interval in the cer-zv × OUH602 map based on 176 gametes tested. It co-segregated with EST marker AK251484 in both maps. The results indicated that the cer-zv mutant is defective in cutin, which might be responsible for the increased transpiration rate and drought sensitivity, and that the F₂ of cer-zv × OUH602 might better facilitate high resolution mapping of cer-zv.