Clinical,Virological and Immunological Features from Patients Infected with Re-Emergent Avian-Origin Human H7N9 Influenza Disease of Varying Severity in Guangdong Province

BackgroundThe second wave of avian influenza H7N9 virus outbreak in humans spread to the Guangdong province of China by August of 2013 and this virus is now endemic in poultry in this region.MethodsFive patients with H7N9 virus infection admitted to our hospital during August 2013 to February 2014 were intensively investigated. Viral load in the respiratory tract was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and cytokine levels were measured by bead-based flow cytometery.ResultsFour patients survived and one died. Viral load in different clinical specimens was correlated with cytokine levels in plasma and broncho-alveolar fluid (BALF), therapeutic modalities used and clinical outcome. Intravenous zanamivir appeared to be better than peramivir as salvage therapy in patients who failed to respond to oseltamivir. Higher and more prolonged viral load was found in the sputum or endotracheal aspirates compared to throat swabs. Upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, MIP-1α/β, IL-1β and IL-8 was found in the plasma and BALF samples. The levels of cytokines in the plasma and viral load were correlated with disease severity. Reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) was found in three out of five patients (60%).ConclusionExpectorated sputum or endotracheal aspirate specimens are preferable to throat swabs for detecting and monitoring H7N9 virus. Severity of the disease was correlated to the viral load in the respiratory tract as well as the extents of cytokinemia. Reactivation of HSV-1 may contribute to clinical outcome.     

MicroRNA‐351 eases insulin resistance and liver gluconeogenesis via the PI3K/AKT pathway by inhibiting FLOT2 in mice of gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is known as different degree glucose intolerance that is initially identified during pregnancy. MicroRNAs (miRs) may be a potential candidate for treatment of GDM. Herein, we suggested that miR‐351 could be an inhibitor in the progression of GDM via the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway. Microarray analysis was used to identify differentially expressed genes and predict miRs regulating flotillin 2 (FLOT2). Target relationship between miR‐351 and FLOT2 was verified. Gestational diabetes mellitus mice were treated with a series of mimic, inhibitor and small interfering RNA to explore the effect of miR‐351 on insulin resistance (IR), cell apoptosis in pancreatic tissues and liver gluconeogenesis through evaluating GDM‐related biochemical indexes, as well as expression of miR‐351, FLOT2, PI3K/AKT pathway‐, IR‐ and liver gluconeogenesis‐related genes. MiR‐351 and FLOT2 were reported to be involved in GDM. FLOT2 was the target gene of miR‐351. Gestational diabetes mellitus mice exhibited IR and liver gluconeogenesis, up‐regulated FLOT2, activated PI3K/AKT pathway and down‐regulated miR‐351 in liver tissues. Additionally, miR‐351 overexpression and FLOT2 silencing decreased the levels of FLOT2, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, glucose‐6‐phosphatase, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, glyeosylated haemoglobin and homeostasis model of assessment for IR index (HOMA‐IR), extent of PI3K and AKT phosphorylation, yet increased the levels of HOMA for islet β‐cell function, HOMA for insulin sensitivity index and glucose transporter 2 expression, indicating reduced cell apoptosis in pancreatic tissues and alleviated IR and liver gluconeogenesis. Our results reveal that up‐regulation of miR‐351 protects against IR and liver gluconeogenesis by repressing the PI3K/AKT pathway through regulating FLOT2 in GDM mice, which identifies miR‐351 as a potential therapeutic target for the clinical management of GDM.     

Rab39, a novel Golgi-associated Rab GTPase from human dendritic cells involved in cellular endocytosis

Rab GTPases are Ras-like small molecular weight GTP binding proteins that are involved in various steps along the exocytic and endocytic pathways. Here we report that Rab39, a novel Rab protein, is a Golgi-associated protein involved in endocytosis of HeLa cells. Full-length cDNA of Rab39 contains 1251bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 636bp, which is predicted to encode a 211 aa protein. By blast analysis of Rab39 cDNA and protein sequence with homologues, we find that Rab39 may be a short variant of Rab34. Rab39 contains conserved motifs involved in phosphate/guanosine binding and a microbody C-terminal targeting signal. RT-PCR analysis indicates that Rab39 is mainly detected in epithelial cell lines, and Northern blot analysis shows that Rab39 is expressed ubiquitously in human tissues. By using FITC-BSA as an endocytic tracer, we show that Rab39 can facilitate endocytosis in HeLa cells when expressed either transiently or stably. Confocal microscopy examination of Rab39 subcellular localization suggests that Rab39 is associated with Golgi-associated organelles. Our findings demonstrate that Rab39 is a novel Rab GTPase involved in cellular endocytosis.     

2D differential in-gel electrophoresis for the identification of esophageal scans cell cancer-specific protein markers

The reproducibility of conventional two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis can be improved using differential in-gel electrophoresis (DIGE), a new emerging technology for proteomic analysis. In DIGE, two pools of proteins are labeled with 1-(5-carboxypentyl)-1'-propylindocarbocyanine halide (Cy3) N-hydroxy-succinimidyl ester and 1-(5-carboxypentyl)-1'-methylindodi-carbocyanine halide (Cy5) N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester fluorescent dyes, respectively. The labeled proteins are mixed and separated in the same 2D gel. 2D DIGE was applied to quantify the differences in protein expression between laser capture microdissection-procured esophageal carcinoma cells and normal epithelial cells and to define cancer-specific and normal-specific protein markers. Analysis of the 2D images from protein lysates of approximately 250,000 cancer cells and normal cells identified 1038 protein spots in cancer cell lysates and 1088 protein spots in normal cell lysates. Of the detected proteins, 58 spots were up-regulated by >3-fold and 107 were down-regulated by >3-fold in cancer cells. In addition to previously identified down-regulated protein annexin I, tumor rejection antigen (gp96) was found up-regulated in esophageal squamous cell cancer. Global quantification of protein expression between laser capture-microdissected patient-matched cancer cells and normal cells using 2D DIGE in combination with mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for the molecular characterization of cancer progression and identification of cancer-specific protein markers.     

尖吻蝮咬伤与心脏损害：附20例分析

本文报告尖吻蝮咬伤并心脏受累20例。经中西医结合治愈19例(95％),死亡1例(5％),并对其发病机理及治疗进行了讨论。     

Destructive Changes in the Neuronal Structure of the FVB/N Mouse Retina

We applied a series of selective antibodies for labeling the various cell types in the mammalian retina. These were used to identify the progressive loss of neurons in the FVB/N mouse, a model of early onset retinal degeneration produced by a mutation in the pde6b gene. The immunocytochemical studies, together with electroretinogram (ERG) recordings, enabled us to examine the time course of the degenerative changes that extended from the photoreceptors to the ganglion cells at the proximal end of the retina. Our study indicates that photoreceptors in FVB/N undergo a rapid degeneration within three postnatal weeks, and that there is a concomitant loss of retinal neurons in the inner nuclear layer. Although the loss of rods was detected at an earlier age during which time M- and S-opsin molecules were translocated to the cone nuclei; by 6 months all cones had also degenerated. Neuronal remodeling was also seen in the second-order neurons with horizontal cells sprouting processes proximally and dendritic retraction in rod-driven bipolar cells. Interestingly, the morphology of cone-driven bipolar cells were affected less by the disease process. The cellular structure of inner retinal neurons, i.e., ChAT amacrine cells, ganglion cells, and melanopsin-positive ganglion cells did not exhibit any gross changes of cell densities and appeared to be relatively unaffected by the massive photoreceptor degeneration in the distal retina. However, Muller cell processes began to express GFAP at their endfeet at p14, and it climbed progressively to the cell’s distal ends by 6 months. Our study indicates that FVB/N mouse provides a useful model with which to assess possible intervention strategies to arrest photoreceptor death in related diseases.     

A systems-biology analysis of feedback inhibition in the Sho1 osmotic-stress-response pathway

BACKGROUND: A common property of signal transduction systems is that they rapidly lose their ability to respond to a given stimulus. For instance in yeast, the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase Hog1 is activated and inactivated within minutes, even when the osmotic-stress stimulus is sustained. RESULTS: Here, we used a combination of experimental and computational analyses to investigate the dynamic behavior of Hog1 activation in vivo. Computational modeling suggested that a negative-feedback loop operates early in the pathway and leads to rapid attenuation of Hog1 signaling. Experimental analysis revealed that the membrane-bound osmosensor Sho1 is phosphorylated by Hog1 and that phosphorylation occurs on Ser-166. Moreover, Sho1 exists in a homo-oligomeric complex, and phosphorylation by Hog1 promotes a transition from the oligomeric to monomeric state. A phosphorylation-site mutation (Sho1(S166E)) diminishes the formation of Sho1-oligomers, dampens activation of the Hog1 kinase, and impairs growth in high-salt or sorbitol conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal a novel phosphorylation-dependent feedback loop leading to diminished cellular responses to an osmotic-stress stimulus.     

RNA干扰抑制肾小管上皮细胞TSP1表达和TGF-β1活化

血小板反应蛋白1(TSP1)是转化生长因子-β1(TGF-β1)体内重要的活化因子,而后者又是致肾小管间质纤维化的关键因素。观察了针对TSP1的小双链干扰RNA(siRNA-TSP1),抑制由血管紧张素II(AngII)诱导的肾小管上皮细胞TGF-β1过度活化。将根据人TSP1基因序列设计的特异siRNA-TSP1转染人肾小管上皮细胞系(HK-2),利用Western印迹、RT-PCR、流式细胞仪及ELISA等方法,检测了TSP1、TGF-β1及其信号蛋白Smad2与p-Smad2、纤维连接蛋白(FN)和纤溶酶原激活剂抑制物-1(PAI-1)的基因转录水平、蛋白质表达或蛋白质活性。结果显示,siRNA-TSP1能有效转染HK-2细胞,并以剂量依赖方式显著抑制TSP1的基因转录与合成;其对TGF-β1的合成影响较小,但能明显抑制TGF-β1的活化。此外siRNA-TSP1可阻抑TGF-β1依赖的Smad2磷酸化,减少细胞外基质FN以及PAI-1的合成。研究结果提示,由于TSP1是TGF-β1重要的内源性活化因子,故针对TSP1的RNA干扰能在体外有效抑制TSP1表达并相应调抑了TGF-β1的活化。     

SHIV1157ipd3N4细胞适应株的制备及其生物特性

目的体外制备SHIV1157ipd3N4病毒中国恒河猴细胞适应株,在细胞水平和中国恒河猴体内评价其生物学特性。方法用SHIV1157ipd3N4病毒阴道感染中国恒河猴,在血浆病毒载量高峰期采血分离外周血单核淋巴细胞（PBMCs）,与正常中国恒河猴PBMCs共培养。定期测定培养液中的P24抗原水平。当病毒复制达高峰期时收集培养上清,分装并冻存。测定病毒RNA载量、P24抗原浓度和TCID50。静脉感染中国恒河猴,研究该批次SHIV1157ipd3N4在体内的病毒学、免疫学指标变化及变异情况,分析其基本的生物学特性。结果本研究共制备了243 mL SHIV1157ipd3N4病毒原液,gp120序列分析表明病毒未发生变异,CCR5的嗜性也未发生改变。病毒载量为1.586×108 copies/mL,P24抗原水平为1.16×103 pg/mL,TZM-bl细胞测定病毒的TCID50为3.16×103/mL。1 mL SHIV1157ipd3N4静脉成功感染中国恒河猴G1004V,高峰期病毒载量达到1.0×106 copies/mL以上。结论此次制备的SHIV1157ipd3N4细胞适应株生物学特性稳定,适合作为毒种库构建SHIV1157ipd3N4/中国恒河猴模型。