Molecular Epidemiology of Tuberculosis in Kaohsiung City Located at Southern Taiwan, 2000-2008

Background

We present the first comprehensive analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates circulating in southern Taiwan. In this 9-year population-based study, the TB situation in the Kaohsiung region was characterized by genotypic analysis of 421 MTB isolates.

Methods

All 421 isolates of MTB were analyzed by spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR typing. Drug-resistance patterns were also analyzed.

Results

The percentage of EAI (East African-Indian) strains increased across sampling years (2000–2008) in southern Taiwan, whereas the proportion of Beijing lineages remained unchanged. Clustering was more frequent with EAI genotype infections (odds ratio = 3.6, p<0.0001) when compared to Beijing genotypes. Notably, MTB resistance to streptomycin (STR) had significantly increased over time, but resistance to other antibiotics, including multidrug resistance, had not. Three major genes (gidB, rpsL and rrs) implicated in STR resistance were sequenced and specific mutations identified.

Conclusions

This study revealed that EAI strains were highly transmissible and that STR resistance has increased between 2000 and 2008 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.     

Convex-Envelope Based Automated Quantitative Approach to Multi-Voxel 1H-MRS Applied to Brain Tumor Analysis

Background

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) can measure in vivo brain tissue metabolism that exhibits unique biochemical characteristics in brain tumors. For clinical application, an efficient and versatile quantification method of MRS would be an important tool for medical research, particularly for exploring the scientific problem of tumor monitoring. The objective of our study is to propose an automated MRS quantitative approach and assess the feasibility of this approach for glioma grading, prognosis and boundary detection.

Methods

An automated quantitative approach based on a convex envelope (AQoCE) is proposed in this paper, including preprocessing, convex-envelope based baseline fitting, bias correction, sectional baseline removal, and peak detection, in a total of 5 steps. Some metabolic ratios acquired by this quantification are selected for statistical analysis. An independent sample t-test and the Kruskal-Wallis test are used for distinguishing low-grade gliomas (LGG) and high-grade gliomas (HGG) and for detecting the tumor, peritumoral and contralateral areas, respectively. Seventy-eight cases of pre-operative brain gliomas with pathological reports are included in this study.

Results

Cho/NAA, Cho/Cr and Lip-Lac/Cr (LL/Cr) calculated by AQoCE in the tumor area differ significantly between LGG and HGG, with p≤0.005. Using logistic regression combining Cho/NAA, Cho/Cr and LL/Cr to generate a ROC curve, AQoCE achieves a sensitivity of 92.9%, a specificity of 72.2%, and an area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.860. Moreover, both Cho/NAA and Cho/Cr in the AQoCE approach show a significant difference (p≤0.019) between tumoral, peritumoral, and contralateral areas. The comparison between the results of AQoCE and Siemens MRS processing software are also discussed in this paper.

Conclusions

The AQoCE approach is an automated method of residual water removal and metabolite quantification. It can be applied to multi-voxel ¹H-MRS for evaluating brain glioma grading and demonstrating characteristics of brain glioma metabolism. It can also detect infiltration in the peritumoral area. Under the limited clinical data used, AQoCE is significantly more versatile and efficient compared to the reference approach of Siemens.     

Cloning, expression, purification, and activity assay of proteins related to D-lactic acid formation in Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Two proteins that might be responsible for D-lactic acid (D-LA) formation were screened from the genome database of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. The coding genes of the two proteins in L. rhamnosus CASL, ldhD1 and ldhD2, were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta with an inducible expression vector pETDuet™-1 (Novagen, Darmstadt, Germany), respectively. The two purified proteins, LdhD-1 and LdhD-2, migrated as a single protein band separately, both corresponding to an apparent molecular mass between 35 kDa and 45 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The specific activities of LdhD-1 and LdhD-2 catalyzing pyruvate to LA were 0.02 U/mg and 0.21 U/mg, respectively. The configuration of LA converted from pyruvate was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a chiral column. Only D-LA was detected when LdhD-1 and LdhD-2 were tested. In summary, the two proteins cloned and expressed in this study were most probably responsible for D-LA formation during fermentation of L. rhamnosus CASL.     

Proteomic profiling of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under shear stress

Diets containing 8% salt or 4% fructose (FR) cause insulin resistance and increase tissue methylglyoxal and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), platelet cytosolic-free calcium, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in rats. In WKY rats, we have shown that moderately high salt, 4% NaCl (MHS) alone in diet does not cause hypertension, and when given along with 4% FR it does not have an additive effect. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or l-arginine (ARG), treatment alone does not prevent hypertension in this model. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of NAC plus ARG in diet on SBP, platelet cytosolic-free calcium in a MHS + FR model, and to measure the plasma levels of methylglyoxal and the AGE, methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone (MGH). At 7 weeks of age, WKY rats were divided into three groups: control group was given regular rat chow (0.7% NaCl) and water; MHS + FR group, diet containing 4% NaCl and 4% FR in drinking water; and MHS + FR + NAC + ARG group, MHS diet supplemented with 1.5% N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and 1.5% l-arginine (ARG), and 4% FR in drinking water, and followed for 6 weeks. NAC + ARG prevented the increase in platelet cytosolic-free calcium and SBP in MHS + FR treated rats. There was no difference in mean values of plasma methylglyoxal and MGH among the groups. In conclusion, NAC + ARG treatment is effective in preventing hypertension in a moderately high salt + FR-induced animal model. Plasma methylglyoxal and MGH may not represent tissue modification or, alternatively, other tissue AGEs, derived from methylglyoxal or other aldehydes, may be involved in hypertension in this model.     

谷氨酸棒杆菌SYPS-062合成L-丝氨酸的代谢通量分析

以一株由自然界筛选获得的能够利用糖质原料直接产L-丝氨酸的谷氨酸棒杆菌Corynebacterium glutamicum SYPS-062为研究对象,考察了一碳单元循环中的辅因子—叶酸和维生素B12对菌株生长、蔗糖消耗及L-丝氨酸生成的影响,同时对处于对数生长期的菌株进行了代谢流量分析。结果发现,添加扰动因子叶酸和维生素B12对磷酸戊糖途径(HMP)碳流影响较大,碳源主要用于细胞生长及合成能量,而流向目的产物L-丝氨酸的碳流减少。同时在添加维生素B12时,增大了G3P节点的L-丝氨酸合成途径的分流比,但造成三羧酸循环(TCA)的流量不足,需要大量回补,从而限制了产物合成速率的进一步提高。     

“分离以尿素为氮源的微生物”的实验改进

实验过程中,对尿素培养基的配方进行了改进,并思考如何更好地体现实验的重复性原则,如何更好地观察实验结果。改进后实验严谨合理,结果明显。     

Accumulation and oxidative stress biomarkers in Japanese flounder larvae and juveniles under chronic cadmium exposure

This study investigated how Cd exposure affected oxidative biomarkers in Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, at early life stages (ELS). Fish were exposed to waterborne Cd (0–48 µg L^− 1) from embryonic to juvenile stages for 80 days. Growth, Cd accumulation, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), glutathione S-transferase (GST, EC 2.5.1.18), and levels of glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were investigated at three developmental stages. Flounder growth decreased and Cd accumulation increased with increasing Cd concentration. In metamorphosing larvae, CAT and SOD activities were inhibited and GSH level was elevated, while LPO was enhanced by increasing Cd concentrations. CAT and GST activities of settling larvae were inhibited but GSH level was elevated at high Cd concentrations. In juveniles, SOD activity and LPO level were increased but GST activity was inhibited as Cd concentration increased. Antioxidants in flounder at ELS were able to develop ductile responses to defend against oxidative stress, but LPO fatally occurred due to Cd exposure. These biochemical parameters could be used as effective oxidative biomarkers for evaluating Cd contamination and toxicity in marine environments: CAT, SOD, GSH, and LPO for metamorphosing stage; CAT, GSH, and GST for settling stage; and SOD, GST, and LPO for juvenile stage.     

Potential involvement of the cyclooxygenase-2 pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma-associated angiogenesis

Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in tumor development and growth. The present study was carried out to investigate the potential involvement of the cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) pathway in the regulation of angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We inhibited Cox-2 expression in HCC cell line HuH-7 by selective Cox-2 inhibitor (SC-58635) or Cox-2 siRNA. Conditioned media (CMs) from HuH-7 cells were used in angiogenic assays in vitro and in vivo. Compared with CMs from untreated and negative siRNA treated HuH-7 cells, CMs from SC-58635 and Cox-2 siRNA treated HuH-7 dramatically suppressed the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and neovascularization in vivo. These inhibitory effects could be partially reversed by the addition of exogenous PGE2 to CMs. Furthermore, Cox-2 inhibition by SC-58635 resulted in PGE2 reduction accompanied by the down-regulation of four PGE2 receptor (EP receptor) subtypes. Treatment with SC-58635 led to the down-expression of proangiogenic factors such as VEGF, HGF, FGF2, ANGPT1 and ANGPT2 in HCC. An approximately 78% reduction of VEGF level has been found in the CM from SC-58635 treated HuH-7. Our results suggest an involvement of Cox-2 in the control of HCC-associated angiogenesis. PGE2 as a vital angiogenic factor may act directly on endothelial cells to promote HuH-7-stimulated angiogenic process. Moreover, Cox-2/PGE2/EP/VEGF pathway possibly also contributes to tumor angiogenesis in HCC. This study provides the rationale for clinical studies of Cox-2 inhibitors on the treatment or chemoprevention of HCC.