Cigarette smoke extract alters genome‐wide profiles of circular RNAs and mRNAs in primary human small airway epithelial cells

As a novel kind of non‐coding RNA, circular RNAs (circRNAs) were involved in various biological processes. However, the role of circRNAs in the developmental process of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is still unclear. In the present study, by using a cell model of COPD in primary human small airway epithelial cells (HSAECs) treated with or without cigarette smoke extract (CSE), we uncovered 4,379 previously unknown circRNAs in human cells and 903 smoke‐specific circRNAs, with the help of RNA‐sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Moreover, 3,872 up‐ and 4,425 down‐regulated mRNAs were also identified under CSE stimulation. Furthermore, a putative circRNA‐microRNA‐mRNA network was constructed for in‐depth mechanism exploration, which indicated that differentially expressed circRNAs could influence expression of some key genes that participate in response to pentose phosphate pathway, ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters, glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis pathway and cancer‐related pathways. Our research indicated that cigarette smoke had an influence on the biogenesis of circRNAs and mRNAs. CircRNAs might be involved in the response to CSE in COPD through the circRNA‐mediated ceRNA networks.     

联合检测血清NGAL、KIM-1和SCr可有效提高慢性肾病分期诊断

为了探讨中性粒细胞明胶酶相关脂质运载蛋白(neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, NGAL)和肾损伤分子-1 (kidney injury molecule-1, KIM-1)以及血肌酐(serum creatinine, SCr)联合检测对慢性肾病(chronic kidney disease, CKD)的早期诊断价值,本研究收集260例肾病患者和85例健康体检者,检测其血清NGAL、KIM-1和SCr水平。依据肾功能分级标准,CKD患者分为CKD 1期(53例),CKD 2期(68例),CKD 3期(71例),CKD 4期(46例)和CKD 5期(22例),并分析以上指标在各组间的含量差异,及其联合测定对CKD早期的敏感性。与健康对照组相比较,CKD 1期、CKD 2期、3期、4期和5期患者的NGAL、KIM-1水平均明显升高(p<0.001)。血清SCr含量在CKD 3期、4期和5期组较健康对照组显著增加(p<0.001)。以上3项指标均随着CKD严重程度增加而升高。各组指标阳性率分析显示,3项联合检测阳性率高于单项检测阳性率。ROC曲线分析NGAL、KIM-1、SCr对CKD诊断的AUC值F分别是为0.824、0.805、0.856。相关性分析结果显示,GFR和NGAL、KIM-1、SCr相关系数分别是r=-0.784、-0.756、-0.728 (p<0.05)。NGAL与KIM-1、SCr的相关系数分别是r=0.932、0.764 (p<0.05);KIM-1与SCr的相关系数r分别是0.791 (p<0.05)。本研究初步得出结论:血清NGAL、Kim-1可作为CKD早期诊断的重要指标,联合检测血清NGAL、Kim-1、SCr可有效提高CKD早期肾损伤诊断的敏感度,对CKD的分期诊断和治疗具有极其重要的临床价值。     

Laser-raman spectroscopic study of carbohydrates: 1-thio-β-d-hexopyranosides

Some β-d-hexopyranosides of 1-thio-d-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-1-thio-d-glucose, and 1-thio-d-galactose were examined by laser-Raman spectroscopy. An anomeric CH bending vibration was found at 891 ± 7 cm^-1 for all compounds investigated; thus, the anomers of these sugars can be differentiated by Raman spectroscopy. The N-acetyl group and carboxyl group can also be detected by Raman spectroscopy. Unlike protein samples, the carbohydrates in aqueous solution yield less useful information from Raman spectra than in the solid state; this is due to the extensive overlapping of carbohydrate OH bands with water OH bands.     

Preliminary studies on leaf beetle, Galeruca daurica on grassland

沙葱萤叶甲Galeruca daurica Joannis是近年来严重危害葱属(AUium)植物建群草场的重要食叶害虫.该虫在内蒙古地区一年发生1代,以卵越冬.本文介绍了该虫生活史、生活习性、发生范围、发生面积、危害症状、生境特征、危害损失,并提出了防治策略.     

Two Hox cofactors, the Meis/Hth homolog UNC-62 and the Pbx/Exd homolog CEH-20, function together during C. elegans postembryonic mesodermal development

The TALE homeodomain-containing PBC and MEIS proteins play multiple roles during metazoan development. Mutations in these proteins can cause various disorders, including cancer. In this study, we examined the roles of MEIS proteins in mesoderm development in C. elegans using the postembryonic mesodermal M lineage as a model system. We found that the MEIS protein UNC-62 plays essential roles in regulating cell fate specification and differentiation in the M lineage. Furthermore, UNC-62 appears to function together with the PBC protein CEH-20 in regulating these processes. Both unc-62 and ceh-20 have overlapping expression patterns within and outside of the M lineage, and they share physical and regulatory interactions. In particular, we found that ceh-20 is genetically required for the promoter activity of unc-62, providing evidence for another layer of regulatory interactions between MEIS and PBC proteins.     

Biochemical and photochemical changes in response to triacontanol in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Triacontanol (TRIA) increased the contents of total chlorophyll (Chl), Chl a and Chl b by 25.1%, 26.1% and 22.4% respectively 4 h after treatment in rice seedlings. The minimal fluorescence (F₀), the maximal fluorescence (Fm) and Fv/Fm were also higher in TRIA-treated plants. In actinic light, other Chl fluorescence parameters were measured at different photon flux densities (PFD) to construct light response curves of the quantum yield of PSII electron transport (_PSII), light response curves of photochemical quenching (qp), and light response curves of non-photochemical quenching (qN), respectively. The _PSII and qp declined with the increasing PFD with a higher level present in TRIA-treated plants. The qN increased with the increasing PFD with a lower level present in TRIA-treated plants. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis indicated a protein expression difference between TRIA-treated materials and the controls at the total-soluble-protein level. Rubisco was 30% higher in TRIA-treated plants than in controls. The quantity of other proteins was unchanged in response to TRIA. These data provide biochemical and photochemical evidence for the effects of TRIA on photosynthesis.     

Synthesis of 2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-3(4H)-one derivatives as platelet aggregation inhibitors

Novel 2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-3(4H)-ones have been synthesized by condensation, reduction, O-alkylation and Smiles rearrangement using 3-bromo-4-hydroxy benzaldehyde, anilines, and chloroacetyl chloride as starting materials. All the synthesized compounds have been characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and HRMS, and tested for the inhibitory ability on platelet aggregation. The results have shown that the ADP (adenosine 5'-diphosphate)-induced platelet aggregation was inhibited by 7a-g with the IC(50) value at 10.14-18.83 μmol/L. Compound 7a exhibited the most potent inhibitory effect (IC(50)=10.14 μmol/L) among all the compounds, but less potent than the control drug ticlopidine (3.18 μmol/L) and aspirin (6.07 μmol/L). The preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) was initially investigated in the study.     

nisZ启动子结构与功能的研究

应用βGlucuronidase基因(gusA)作为报告基因,通过定点突变方法分别缺失nisZ编码区上游两个启动子结构(promoter1和promoter2)中的一个,发现只有靠近编码区的promoter2是nisZ启动子诱导表达所必需。将promoter2中10区及其上游的一个碱基突变为乳酸菌中典型的组成型启动子的10区结构,该改变使nisZ启动子诱导功能下降;将promoter2的10区和35区的间隔区由20个碱基缺失突变为17个碱基,则nisZ启动子失去诱导功能。据此认为该间隔区的结构与nisZ启动子的诱导表达密切相关。