Predictive value of circulating miR-328 and miR-134 for acute myocardial infarction

MicroRNA (miRNAs) is demonstrated to be present in the blood of humans and has been increasingly suggested as a novel biomarker for various pathological processes in the heart, including myocardial infarction, myocardial remodeling and progression to heart failure. In this study, we aim to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of circulating miR-328 and miR-134 in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Circulating levels of miR-328 and miR-134 were detected by quantitative real-time PCR in plasma samples from 359 AMI patients and 30 healthy volunteers. Concentrations of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) were measured using electrochemiluminescence-based methods. MiRNAs were assessed for discrimination of a clinical diagnosis of AMI and for association with primary clinical endpoint defined as a composite of cardiogenic death and development of heart failure within 6 months after infarction. Results showed that levels of plasma miR-328 and miR-134 were significantly higher in AMI patients than in healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed significant diagnostic value of miR-328 and miR-134 for AMI. However, neither of them was superior to hs-cTnT for the diagnosis. Additionally, increased miRNA levels were strongly associated with increased risk of mortality or heart failure within 6 months for miR-328 (OR 7.35, 95 % confidence interval 1.07–17.83, P < 0.001) and miR-134 (OR 2.28, 95 % confidence interval 1.03–11.32 P < 0.001). In conclusion, circulating miR-328 and miR-134 could be potential indicators for AMI, and the miRNA levels are associated with increased risk of mortality or development of heart failure.     

Allele-specific targeting of hsa-miR-657 to human IGF2R creates a potential mechanism underlying the association of ACAA-insertion/deletion polymorphism with type 2 diabetes

The biological mechanism of a recent discovered association of type 2 diabetes with the ACAA-insertion/deletion polymorphism at the 3′UTR of the IGF2R gene has remained unclear. A very recently emerging novel polymorphic control layer by microRNAs (miRNAs) makes it possible to elucidate this issue. In this study, a prediction by web tools MicroInspector and miRanda demonstrated that DNA sequence polymorphism (DSPs) ACAA-insertion/deletion in IGF2R 3′UTR is located within the hsa-miR-657 and hsa-miR-453 binding sites. And luciferase reporter assay revealed that hsa-miR-657 acts directly at the 3′UTR of the IGF2R. Furthermore, ACAA-deletion exerted a further repression compared with ACAA-insertion, indicating that hsa-miR-657 regulates IGF2R gene expression in a polymorphic control manner. Importantly, we also demonstrated that hsa-miR-657 can translationally regulate the IGF2R expression levels in Hep G2 cells. Thus, our findings testify the possibility that the ACAA-insertion/deletion polymorphism may result in the change of IGF2R expression levels at least in part by hsa-miR-657-mediated regulation, contributing to the elucidation for the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and raise the possibility that miRNAs or in combination with functional DNA sequence polymorphism may be valuable in the treatment of human type 2 diabetes.     

New insight into the role of extracellular vesicles in kidney disease

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released to maintain cellular homeostasis as well as to mediate cell communication by spreading protective or injury signals to neighbour or remote cells. In kidney, increasing evidence support that EVs are signalling vesicles for different segments of tubules, intra‐glomerular, glomerular‐tubule and tubule‐interstitial communication. EVs released by kidney resident and infiltrating cells can be isolated from urine and were found to be promising biomarkers for kidney disease, reflecting deterioration of renal function and histological change. We have here summarized the recent progress about the functional role of EVs in kidney disease as well as challenges and future directions involved.     

Differential role of microenvironment in microencapsulation for improved cell tolerance to stress

The effect of the microenvironment in alginate–chitosan–alginate (ACA) microcapsules with liquid core (LCM) and solid core (SCM) on the physiology and stress tolerance of Sacchromyces cerevisiae was studied. The suspended cells were used as control. Cells cultured in liquid core microcapsules showed a nearly twofold increase in the intracellular glycerol content, trehalose content, and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, which are stress tolerance substances, while SCM did not cause the significant physiological variation. In accordance with the physiological modification after being challenged with osmotic stress (NaCl), oxidative stress (H₂O₂), ethanol stress, and heat shock stress, the cell survival in LCM was increased. However, SCM can only protect the cells from damaging under ethanol stress. Cells released from LCM were more resistant to hyperosmotic stress, oxidative stress, and heat shock stress than cells liberated from SCM. Based on reasonable analysis, a method was established to estimate the effect of microenvironment of LCM and SCM on the protection of cells against stress factors. It was found that the resistance of LCM to hyperosmotic stress, oxidative stress, and heat shock stress mainly depend on the domestication effect of LCM’s microenvironment. The physical barrier of LCM constituted by alginate–chitosan membrane and liquid alginate matrix separated the cells from the damage of oxidative stress and ethanol stress. The significant tolerance against ethanol stress of SCM attributed to the physical barrier consists of solid alginate–calcium matrix and alginate–chitosan membrane.     

聚乙二醇沉淀剂有效分离尿外泌体

尿外泌体是病毒大小的胞外囊泡,是非侵入性获得肾及泌尿生殖道细胞生理病理信息的重要靶标。聚乙二醇沉淀 剂可经济高效地分离富集血清等外泌体,但未见用于尿外泌体富集的详细报道。本研究采用聚乙二醇沉淀剂分离鉴定尿外泌体,并对其RNA组分进行检测,以期建立一个经济、高效、简便的尿外泌体分离富集方法。采集10例健康志愿者晨尿20 mL,聚乙二醇沉淀剂分离尿外泌体。透射电镜观察到直径30～100 nm双层膜包绕的囊性小泡,中央有直径5～15 nm高电子密度区。Western印迹检测到外泌体标记蛋白CD63、CD9、TSG101、ADAM10和内标蛋白β-肌动蛋白的表达。纳米粒径仪测定粒子直径介于30～130 nm,并可见25.37 nm和95.07 nm二个粒子峰。qRT-PCR扩增得到β-肌动蛋白和RNU6 RNA产物带。上述结果表明,聚乙二醇沉淀剂可分离富集尿外泌体,该法简单、高效,不需要超速离心机等昂贵设备,且采用该法富集到的外泌体可用于后续蛋白质与核酸分析。该方法可望加速液体活检应用,尤其是肾及泌尿生殖道病变的无创检测。     

Impacts of cell surface characteristics on population dynamics in a sequencing batch yeast reactor treating vegetable oil-containing wastewater

Ten yeast strains acquired from different sources and capable of utilizing vegetable oil or related compounds (fatty acid or oleic acid) as sole carbon sources were inoculated into a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for the treatment of high-strength vegetable oil-containing wastewater. The SBR system stably removed >89% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and >99% of oil when fed with wastewater containing 15 g/L COD and 10 g/L oil in average. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of polymerase chain reaction-amplified 26S rRNA genes showed that among the ten yeast strains, only Candida lipolytica, Candida tropicalis, and Candida halophila were dominant in the system. To elucidate the major factors affecting the selection of yeast strains in the SBR system, the three dominant strains were compared with two non-dominant strains in terms of COD removal performance, biomass yield, cell settleability, cell flocculation ability, cell emulsification ability, and surface hydrophobicity. Results showed that hydrophobicity and emulsification ability of yeast cells were the two most important factors determining the selection of yeast strains in the treatment of high-strength oil-containing wastewater.     

Novel adjuvant for immunization against tuberculosis: DNA vaccine expressing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</Emphasis> antigen 85A and interleukin-15 fusion product elicits strong immune responses in mice

Objectives

To investigate the potential of interleukin (IL)-15 as a novel adjuvant for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigen 85A (Ag85A) vaccine.

Results

C57BL/6 mice were intramuscularly immunized three times with a plasmid expressing the Ag85A-IL-15 fusion protein (pcDNA3.1-Ag85A-IL-15), with the empty pcDNA3.1 vector and the pcDNA3.1-Ag85A as control. Mice vaccinated with pcDNA3.1-Ag85A-IL-15 generated more secretory IgA (sIgA) into their lung (209 ± 21 μg/ml) and acquired an enhanced serum IgG response to Ag85A. IgG2a/IgG1 ratios were upregulated, natural killer cell activity was augmented and Ag85A-specific splenic T cell proliferation was enhanced in these mice as well. Vaccination with pcDNA3.1-Ag85A-IL-15 promoted the polarization of CD4⁺ T cells towards a Th1 type in the spleen, and significantly upregulated the serum level of interferon (IFN)-γ (458 ± 98 pg/ml), a typical Th1 cytokine. IFN-γ-expressing CD8⁺ cells were also increased in the spleen after pcDNA3.1-Ag85A-IL-15 immunization.

Conclusions

A superior immune type I response in mice vaccinated with plasmid Ag85A-IL-15 has been achieved.

     

贵州玉米田害虫绿色灯光防控技术研究

为探明贵州玉米田昆虫群落结构和杀虫灯对害虫的防治效果,选取贵州玉米田3个具有代表性的点分别安装诱虫灯,进行诱集调查,并对近灯区（距离灯20 m以内）、远灯区（距离灯20~150 m）和对照区的昆虫种群消长情况进行田间调查。结果表明,贵州玉米田昆虫共有11目66科132种,主要为同翅目、鞘翅目、鳞翅目、膜翅目、直翅目、双翅目和半翅目类昆虫;灯诱共获得89个种类,其中害虫占64.77%,益虫占15.91%,中性昆虫占19.32%。田间调查结果显示,近灯区物种丰富度最高,对照区次之,远灯区最低;近灯区玉米螟Ostrinia furnacalis、黏虫Mythimna seperata (Walker)、灰飞虱Laodelphax striatellus和条赤须盲蝽Trigonotylus coelestialium (Kirkaldy)等趋光性昆虫的种群数量长期高于其他区域。综上所述,风吸式诱虫灯对玉米田害虫有较好的防治效果,为玉米田害虫的绿色防控提供了参考。