Microarray analysis reveals a potential role of LncRNAs expression in cardiac cell proliferation

Background

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been identified to play important roles in epigenetic processes that underpin organogenesis. However, the role of LncRNAs in the regulation of transition from fetal to adult life of human heart has not been evaluated.

Methods

Immunofiuorescent staining was used to determine the extent of cardiac cell proliferation. Human LncRNA microarrays were applied to define gene expression signatures of the fetal (13–17 weeks of gestation, n?=?4) and adult hearts (30–40 years old, n?=?4). Pathway analysis was performed to predict the function of differentially expressed mRNAs (DEM). DEM related to cell proliferation were selected to construct a lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network. Eight lncRNAs were confirmed by quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction (n?=?6).

Results

Cardiac cell proliferation was significant in the fetal heart. Two thousand six hundred six lncRNAs and 3079 mRNAs were found to be differentially expressed. Cell cycle was the most enriched pathway in down-regulated genes in the adult heart. Eight lncRNAs (RP11-119 F7.5, AX747860, HBBP1, LINC00304, TPTE2P6, AC034193.5, XLOC_006934 and AL833346) were predicted to play a central role in cardiac cell proliferation.

Conclusions

We discovered a profile of lncRNAs differentially expressed between the human fetal and adult heart. Several meaningful lncRNAs involved in cardiac cell proliferation were disclosed.

     

Utilizing Environmental Friendly Iron as a Substitution Element in Spinel Structured Cathode Materials for Safer High Energy Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Suppressing oxygen release from lithium ion battery cathodes during heating is a critical issue for the improvement of the battery safety characteristics because oxygen can exothermically react with the flammable electrolyte and cause thermal runaway. Previous studies have shown that oxygen release can be reduced by the migration of transition metal cations from octahedral sites to tetrahedral sites during heating. Such site‐preferred migration is determined by the electronic structure of cations. Taking advantage of the unique electronic structure of the environmental friendly Fe, this is selected as substitution element in a high energy density material LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ to improve the thermal stability. The optimized LiNi_0.33Mn_1.33Fe_0.33O₄ material shows significantly improved thermal stability compared with the unsubstituted one, demonstrated by no observed oxygen release at temperatures as high as 500°C. Due to the electrochemical contribution of Fe, the high energy density feature of LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ is well preserved.     

肝细胞癌根治性切除术后预后因素分析

目的:探讨影响肝细胞癌患者根治性术后预后相关因素。方法:回顾性分析2004年1月1日至2009年12月31日245例我院行根治性切除术的肝细胞癌患者,采用Kaplan-Meier法和Cox比例风险模型分析临床资料、手术过程、病理特征与预后的关系。结果:多因素分析结果显示术前AFP水平、术中出血量、TNM分期是影响无进展生存时间和总生存时间的独立风险因素。术前AFP水平越高、术中出血量越大、TNM分期越晚则患者无进展生存时间及总生存时间明显缩短。此外,患者出现肿瘤组织局部坏死、门静脉癌栓,则总生存时间明显缩短。结论:术前AFP水平、术中出血量、TNM分期是外科根治性切除术后肝细胞癌患者复发及死亡的相关因素,对于临床医师判断预后及延长术后生存时间具有重要的临床意义。     

Characterization of Plant Alcohol Dehydrogenase

The final activity of the alcohol dehydrogenase (E.C.1.1.1.1, abbreviated ADH) from germinating pea, isolated by fractionating with ammonium sulphate, chromatography on DEAE cellulose and gel filtration, was 80,000, from bean 25,000 and from lentil 13,500 units per mg protein. Molecular weights of the ADHs are close to each other: pea and bean ADH 60,000, lentil ADH 70,000. The K_m values are mutually similar with three enzymes, i.e. of the order of 10⁻⁴M for NAD and 10⁻²M for ethanol. The pH optima lie in the alkaline region. These enzymes catalyse oxidation of a number of monovalent alcohols. At temperatures above 60°C the enzymes are thermally unstable. Stability is enhanced slowly by ethanol but not by NAD. Pyrazol, imidazol and pyridine inhibit plant ADH similarly to the enzyme from horse liver. There is a similarity between plant alcohol dehydrogenases and animal and yeast enzymes.     

Hemoglobin Deaconess a new deletion mutant: beta131 (H9) glutamine deleted.

When preparations of chick oviduct progesterone receptor, labeled with [³H]progesterone, are suitably incubated with o-phenanthroline or rifamycin AF/013, the ability of the [³H]progesterone-receptor to bind to purified oviduct nuclei is almost completely abolished, although the steroid-receptor complex itself remains essentially intact. m-Phenanthroline and rifampicin do not cause significant inhibition of nuclear-binding ability. These findings are discussed in relation to known effects of the same compounds on nucleic acid polymerases. The effectiveness of o-phenanthroline suggests that the receptor may be a metalloprotein in which the metal ion participates in the attachment of receptor to nuclear binding sites.     

The mechanical properties of the rabbit and human cornea

The extensibility of rabbit and human corneas was measured by raising the pressure within the intact globe of the eye and measuring the displacements of two very small mercury drops on the corneal surface. The human cornea showed a negligible extensibility under low stresses. The rabbit tissue, however, underwent a 9% strain under low pressures with a curvilinear relationship between stress and strain. At higher pressures the relationship was linear, and the tissue showed some creep. The low pressure stress-strain relationship of the rabbit could not be explained on the basis that the collagen fibrils were being straightened out from an initial set in a sinusoidal wave. When the stroma was isolated from Descemet's membrane, it showed a negligible low pressure extensibility in rabbit and man. On the other hand, isolated Descemet's membrane was very extensible in both species. The difference between them in the behavior of the intact cornea seems to lie in the relative initial strain in the stroma and Descemet's membrane.     

Surgical aspects of pulmonary paragonimiasis

Pulmonary paragonimiasis is caused by the presence of the oriental lung fluke, Paragonimus westermani, within the lung parenchyma. The disease is indigenous to Korea. In a retrospective review of operative cases from 1972 through July 1979 at the National Medical Center in Seoul, Korea, eleven cases were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 27 years, and all had a history of ingesting raw crustaceans. Diagnosis was based on history, positive skin test, and radiographic findings. The patients were treated with bithionil before undergoing surgery for severe pleural or pleuroparenchymal lung disease. There was one operative death. Long-term follow-up from 6 to 84 months indicated satisfactory results in ten patients. Our experience with this clinical entity forms the basis of this report.