Replication Inhibition of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus in Co-Infected Patients in Chinese Population

Background

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infections contributes to a substantial proportion of liver disease worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and virological features of HBV-HCV co-infection.

Methods

Demographic data were collected for 3238 high-risk people from an HCV-endemic region in China. Laboratory tests included HCV antibody and HBV serological markers, liver function tests, and routine blood analysis. Anti-HCV positive samples were analyzed for HCV RNA levels and subgenotypes. HBsAg-positive samples were tested for HBV DNA.

Results

A total of 1468 patients had chronic HCV and/or HBV infections. Among them, 1200 individuals were classified as HCV mono-infected, 161 were classified as HBV mono-infected, and 107 were classified as co-infected. The HBV-HCV co-infected patients not only had a lower HBV DNA positive rate compared to HBV mono-infected patients (84.1% versus 94.4%, respectively; P<0.001). The median HCV RNA levels in HBV-HCV co-infected patients were significantly lower than those in the HCV mono-infected patients (1.18[Interquartile range (IQR) 0–5.57] versus 5.87[IQR, 3.54–6.71] Log₁₀ IU/mL, respectively; P<0.001). Furthermore, co-infected patients were less likely to have detectable HCV RNA levels than HCV mono-infected patients (23.4% versus 56.5%, respectively; P<0.001). Those HBV-HCV co-infected patients had significantly lower median HBV DNA levels than those mono-infected with HBV (1.97[IQR, 1.3–3.43] versus 3.06[IQR, 2–4.28] Log₁₀ IU/mL, respectively; P<0.001). The HBV-HCV co-infection group had higher ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, APRI and FIB-4 levels, but lower ALB and total platelet compared to the HBV mono-infection group, and similar to that of the HCV mono-infected group.

Conclusion

These results suggest that co-infection with HCV and HBV inhibits the replication of both viruses. The serologic results of HBV-HCV co-infection in patients suggests more liver injury compared to HBV mono-infected patients, but is similar to HCV mono-infection.     

Mitochondrial Calcium uniporters are essential for meiotic progression in mouse oocytes by controlling Ca2+ entry

ObjectivesThe alteration of bioenergetics by oocytes in response to the demands of various biological processes plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular physiology. However, little is known about the association between energy sensing and energy production with energy‐dependent cellular processes like meiosis.Materials and methodsWe demonstrated that cell cycle‐dependent mitochondrial Ca²⁺ connects energy sensing to mitochondrial activity in meiosis progression within mouse oocytes. Further, we established a model in mouse oocytes using siRNA knockdowns that target mitochondrial calcium uniporters (MCUs) in order to inhibit mitochondrial Ca²⁺ concentrations.ResultsDecreased numbers of oocytes successfully progressed to the germinal vesicle stage and extruded the first polar body during in vitro culture after inhibition, while spindle checkpoint‐dependent meiosis was also delayed. Mitochondrial Ca²⁺ levels changed, and this was followed by altered mitochondrial masses and ATP levels within oocytes during the entirety of meiosis progression. Abnormal mitochondrial Ca²⁺ concentrations in oocytes then hindered meiotic progress and activated AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) signalling that is associated with gene expression.ConclusionsThese data provide new insight into the protective role that MCU‐dependent mitochondrial Ca²⁺ signalling plays in meiotic progress, in addition to demonstrating a new mechanism of mitochondrial energy regulation by AMPK signalling that influences meiotic maturation.     

水青树茎皮的化学成分研究

水青树(TetracentronsinenseOliv.)系水青树科水青树属植物,是我国特有的单种属珍稀濒危古老孑遗植物,主要分布于陕西南部、云南、四川、湖北、湖南等省〔1〕。在漫长的地质年代变迁过程中,为适应生存,其自身体内生理、生化过程也发生多次调整,结果必然伴随多种类型的次生代谢产物的形成,而有关其化学成分的研究迄今为止国内外未见报道,为此,我们对它进行了化学成分研究,这对人们充分认识并开发利用和更好地保存它将有着重要的意义。笔者从鄂西产水青树茎皮中初步分离得到7个化合物,经鉴定,化合物1为β-谷甾醇、6为β-胡萝卜甙、7为长链脂…     

东北虎源等孢球虫的发现

对东北虎粪便进行虫卵检查,分离获得了自然感染的球虫卵囊。对球虫卵囊的形态和经培养发育后的各阶段的卵囊形态进行了观察。东北虎源球虫卵囊符合等孢属球虫的形态学特征。根据Genbank 上发表的猫等孢球虫18S rDNA 序列(L74671)设计一对特异性引物,利用PCR 技术对东北虎源球虫的18S rDNA 进行了扩增。扩增得到一段360 bp 的DNA 片段,并对该片段进行了序列测定。测序结果和其它17 种原虫的相应序列进行序列同源性比较分析,分析显示东北虎源球虫和其它等孢属球虫单独聚为一类。结合对东北虎源球虫的卵囊形态、卵囊发育情况及序列分析结果,确定其为等孢属球虫。      

Molecular architecture of the kinetochore-microtubule attachment site is conserved between point and regional centromeres

Point and regional centromeres specify a unique site on each chromosome for kinetochore assembly. The point centromere in budding yeast is a unique 150-bp DNA sequence, which supports a kinetochore with only one microtubule attachment. In contrast, regional centromeres are complex in architecture, can be up to 5 Mb in length, and typically support many kinetochore-microtubule attachments. We used quantitative fluorescence microscopy to count the number of core structural kinetochore protein complexes at the regional centromeres in fission yeast and Candida albicans. We find that the number of CENP-A nucleosomes at these centromeres reflects the number of kinetochore-microtubule attachments instead of their length. The numbers of kinetochore protein complexes per microtubule attachment are nearly identical to the numbers in a budding yeast kinetochore. These findings reveal that kinetochores with multiple microtubule attachments are mainly built by repeating a conserved structural subunit that is equivalent to a single microtubule attachment site.     

丛枝菌根真菌预处理对铅胁迫下美洲黑杨雌雄株生理生化特征的影响

该研究以美洲黑杨(Populus deltoides)雌、雄株为对象,采用盆栽实验方法,通过接种丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)预处理美洲黑杨雌雄株后再进行铅(Pb)胁迫(200mg/kg)处理,雌、雄株分别设置4个处理(对照、只接种AMF处理、只进行Pb污染处理、接种AMF后进行Pb污染处理),分析不同处理下美洲黑杨雌、雄株生物量积累与分配、叶铅浓度、抗氧化酶活性、氧化还原平衡、活性氧分子(ROS)含量的变化,以明确接种AMF预处理对美洲黑杨雌雄株Pb耐受性差异的影响并探讨其生理机制,为美洲黑杨在重金属污染区的性别选择推广提供理论依据。结果显示:(1)Pb污染对美洲黑杨的生物量积累与分配、叶铅浓度、抗氧化能力等方面具有显著影响且存在性别差异,雄株根冠比和ROS含量的变化幅度显著低于雌株,SOD和APX活性显著高于雌株,表现出更高的耐受性,而雌株对Pb胁迫更敏感。(2)接种AMF能显著提高美洲黑杨雌株抗氧化酶活性和氧化还原平衡能力,促进抗氧化物的合成,抑制ROS产生,缓解膜脂过氧化程度,减轻Pb离子的毒害作用,但菌根对雄株的影响不显著。(3)相关分析显示,除总生物量、TG含量、ASA/DHA比值和POD活性外,性别差异对美洲黑杨其他指标均有显著影响;Pb处理极显著地影响除SOD和GR活性以外的所有指标;接种AMF对美洲黑杨总生物量、根冠比与GR活性影响显著,对叶铅浓度、TG含量、ASA/DHA比值、H_2O_2与MDA含量、SOD和APX活性影响极显著。研究表明,美洲黑杨雄株比雌株对Pb胁迫的耐受性更强,而雌株更敏感,与AMF的共生可提高雌株对于Pb污染土壤的适应性,缓解雌株受Pb胁迫的影响,但菌根与雄株的共生不利于雄株适应Pb污染环境,这可能与接种AMF促进雄株叶片的Pb含量有关;在Pb污染较严重的区域(Pb200mg/kg)推广种植美洲黑杨雄株更为适宜。     

Phylogenetic analysis and developmental expression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">thymosin-β4</Emphasis> gene in amphioxus

Thymosin-4 is a highly conserved actin-binding protein that plays an important role in multiple early developmental events and functions in keeping the adult life in vertebrates. Here a cDNA for a thymosin-4 gene was isolated from the amphioxus, Branchiostoma belcheri. A molecular phylogenetic tree constructed from the deduced amino acid sequence of the isolated cDNA indicates that this gene belongs to the thymosin-4 subfamily, but it is split at the base of the vertebrate gene clade in evolution. In situ hybridization reveals that the expression is detected in the locations homologous to orthologous genes expressing regions of vertebrate embryos and adults, such as the neural plate, neural tube, paraxial mesoderm, differentiating somites, pharynx and gut, midgut diverticulus, blood vessels and body spaces. These results are interpreted to mean that thymosin-4 genes might play a conserved role in the patterning of chordate embryos and functions in adults.     

Identification and characterization of a novel Cut family cDNA that encodes human copper transporter protein CutC

Copper is an essential heavy metal trace element that plays important roles in cell physiology. The Cut family was associated with the copper homeostasis and involved in several important metabolisms, such as uptake, storage, delivery, and efflux of copper. In this study, a novel Cut family cDNA was isolated from the human fetal brain library, which encodes a 273 amino acid protein with a molecular mass of about 29.3 kDa and a calculated pI of 8.17. It was named hCutC (human copper transporter protein CutC). The ORF of hCutC gene was cloned into pQE30 vector and expressed in Escherichia coli M15. The secreted hCutC protein was purified to a homogenicity of 95% by using the Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. RT-PCR analysis showed that the hCutC gene expressed extensively in human tissues. Subcellular location analysis of hCutC-EGFP fusion protein revealed that hCutC was distributed to cytoplasm of COS-7 cells, and both cytoplasm and nucleus of AD293 cells. The results suggest that hCutC may be one shuttle protein and play important roles in intracellular copper trafficking.