Adipose tissue interleukin-18 mRNA and plasma interleukin-18: effect of obesity and exercise

Objectives: Obesity and a physically inactive lifestyle are associated with increased risk of developing insulin resistance. The hypothesis that obesity is associated with increased adipose tissue (AT) interleukin (IL)‐18 mRNA expression and that AT IL‐18 mRNA expression is related to insulin resistance was tested. Furthermore, we speculated that acute exercise and exercise training would regulate AT IL‐18 mRNA expression. Research Methods and Procedures: Non‐obese subjects with BMI < 30 kg/m² (women: n = 18; men; n = 11) and obese subjects with BMI >30 kg/m² (women: n = 6; men: n = 7) participated in the study. Blood samples and abdominal subcutaneous AT biopsies were obtained at rest, immediately after an acute exercise bout, and at 2 hours or 10 hours of recovery. After 8 weeks of exercise training of the obese group, sampling was repeated 48 hours after the last training session. Results: AT IL‐18 mRNA content and plasma IL‐18 concentration were higher (p < 0.05) in the obese group than in the non‐obese group. AT IL‐18 mRNA content and plasma IL‐18 concentration was positively correlated (p < 0.05) with insulin resistance. While acute exercise did not affect IL‐18 mRNA expression at the studied time‐points, exercise training reduced AT IL‐18 mRNA content by 20% in both sexes. Discussion: Because obesity and insulin resistance were associated with elevated AT IL‐18 mRNA and plasma IL‐18 levels, the training‐induced lowering of AT IL‐18 mRNA content may contribute to the beneficial effects of regular physical activity with improved insulin sensitivity.     

In vitro differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells to epithelial lineage

Our study examined whether human bone marrow-derived MSCs are able to differentiate, in vitro, into functional epithelial-like cells. MSCs were isolated from the sternum of 8 patients with different hematological disorders. The surface phenotype of these cells was characterized.To induce epithelial differentiation, MSCs were cultured using Epidermal Growth Factor, Keratinocyte Growth Factor, Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Insulin-like growth Factor-II. Differentiated cells were further characterized both morphologically and functionally by their capacity to express markers with specificity for epithelial lineage. The expression of cytokeratin 19 was assessed by immunocytochemistry, and cytokeratin 18 was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR (Taq-man). The data demonstrate that human MSCs isolated from human bone marrow can differentiate into epithelial-like cells and may thus serve as a cell source for tissue engineering and cell therapy of epithelial tissue.     

Long noncoding RNA AC073284.4 suppresses epithelial–mesenchymal transition by sponging miR-18b-5p in paclitaxel-resistant breast cancer cells

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent malignant cancer in the world, is the leading cause of cancer-related death female. Recently, there is accumulating evidence that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) might as an important role in the progression of BC. (epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered to play a vital role in tumor cells migration and invasion. Nevertheless, the entire biological mechanisms and functions of lncRNAs in tumor migration, invasion, and EMT remain uncertain. In the present research, we observed that the expression of lncRNA AC073284.4 was downregulated in BC paclitaxel-resistant (PR) cells (MCF-7/PR) and tissues. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that miR-18b-5p was a direct target of AC073284.4, which has been validated by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. We further proved that AC073284.4 could directly bind to miR-18b-5p and relieve the suppression for dedicator of cytokinesis protein 4 (DOCK4). Furthermore, the underlying functional experiments demonstrated that AC073284.4 might sponge miR-18b-5p to attenuate the invasion, metastasis, and EMT of BC cell through upregulating DOCK4 expression. In summary, AC073284.4 might serve as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in BC progression via modulating miR-18b-5p/DOCK4 axis, which weakens EMT and migration of BC. These results suggesting that AC073284.4 might function as a potential novel diagnostic biomarker in the progression of BC.     

贵州福泉分布桃花水母的形态特征及分子鉴定

2017年10月,在贵州省福泉县发现了桃花水母(Craspedacusta)。观察其形态结构,福泉的桃花水母与索氏桃花水母(C. sowerbyi)高度相似。采用PCR和DNA测序技术扩增和测定了福泉采集桃花水母的核糖体小亚基rRNA基因(18SrRNA)、核糖体RNA基因内转录间隔区(ITS)及线粒体细胞色素氧化酶亚基基因(COI),并与GenBank上已有的桃花水母18S rRNA、ITS、COI基因序列进行了比对。分子鉴定结果显示,福泉的桃花水母18SrRNA、ITS、COI基因序列与索氏桃花水母相似度分别为100%、92%、99%,确定贵州省福泉市发现的桃花水母样品在种分类水平上为索氏桃花水母。并就桃花水母的某些形态学分类指标的标准、不同伞径之间的差值是否能作为桃花水母形态分类的一个新指标这些问题做了讨论。     

昆虫病原线虫Heterorhabditis beicherriana LF品系与Bt HBF-18菌株混用对华北大黑鳃金龟幼虫的防治效果

【目的】明确昆虫病原线虫 Heterorhabditis beicherriana LF品系(LF)与苏云金芽孢杆菌 Bacillus thuringiensis HBF-18菌株(Bt HBF-18)混用后对华北大黑鳃金龟 Holotrichia oblita 幼虫的致病力的协同增效作用,为该害虫的防治提供新的技术措施。【方法】在室内测定了LF在不同使用剂量、不同环境温度及不同土壤湿度条件下对华北大黑鳃金龟7-10日龄幼虫的致病力;通过室内生测测定了Bt HBF-18对LF存活的影响,以及Bt HBF-18与LF两者混用后对7-10日龄华北大黑鳃金龟幼虫的防治效果;同时通过室外盆栽试验测定了两者混用对华北大黑鳃金龟幼虫的防治效果。【结果】华北大黑鳃金龟幼虫死亡率随LF施用剂量和处理时间的增加而升高,其中,侵染期线虫(infective juveniles, IJs)800 IJs/100 μL及以上剂量处理7 d后幼虫死亡率达到了100%;25℃为该线虫侵染的最适宜环境温度;适宜土壤湿度范围为14%~20%,湿度过低或过高都会显著影响其侵染效率。室内生测结果表明, Bt HBF-18处理9 d对华北大黑鳃金龟幼虫的致死中浓度(LC 50 )为 1.44× 10^8 CFU/g土,此浓度对LF的存活基本没有影响。另外,室内生测和室外盆栽试验结果均表明,将LF与Bt HBF-18混用能显著提高对华北大黑鳃金龟幼虫的防治效果,混用后具有不同程度的加成或协同增效作用。室内生测试验中LC 50 Bt+200 IJs/100 μL LF混用处理3 d后,较单独LF和Bt HBF-18处理幼虫死亡率分别提高了约43.07%和36.05%,具有显著的协同增效作用;室外盆栽试验中1/2 LC 50 Bt+1 000 IJs/mL LF, LC 50 Bt+1 000 IJs/mL LF和1/2 LC 50 Bt+1 500 IJs/mL LF均具有协同增效作用,其中1/2 LC 50 Bt+1 500 IJs/mL LF增效作用最佳,较单独LF和Bt HBF-18处理幼虫死亡率分别提高了约38.89%和80.55%。【结论】将昆虫病原线虫LF与Bt HBF-18混用对华北大黑鳃金龟幼虫的防治具有加成或协同增效作用。     

Impaired renal organic anion transport 1 (SLC22A6) and its regulation following acute myocardial infarction and reperfusion injury in rats

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a high frequent and common complication following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study examined and identified the effect of AMI-induced AKI on organic anion transporter 1 (Oat1) and Oat3 transport using clinical setting of pre-renal AKI in vivo. Cardiac ischaemia (CI) and cardiac ischaemia and reperfusion (CIR) were induced in rats by 30-min left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and 30-min occlusion followed by 120-min reperfusion, respectively. Renal hemodynamic parameters, mitochondrial function and Oat1/Oat3 expression and function were determined along with biochemical markers. Results showed that CI markedly reduced renal blood flow and pressure by approximately 40%, while these parameters were recovered during reperfusion. CI and CIR progressively attenuated renal function and induced oxidative stress by increasing plasma BUN, creatinine and malondialdehyde levels. Correspondingly, SOD, GPx, CAT mRNAs were decreased, while TNFα, IL1β, COX2, iNOS, NOX2, NOX4, and xanthine oxidase were increased. Mitochondrial dysfunction as indicated by increasing ROS, membrane depolarisation, swelling and caspase3 activation were shown. Early significant detection of AKI; KIM1, IL18, was found. All of which deteriorated para-aminohippurate transport by down-regulating Oat1 during sudden ischaemia. This consequent blunted the trafficking rate of Oat1/Oat3 transport via down-regulating PKCζ/Akt and up-regulating PKCα/NFκB during CI and CIR. Thus, this promising study indicates that CI and CIR abruptly impaired renal Oat1 and regulatory proteins of Oat1/Oat3, which supports dysregulation of remote sensing and signalling and inter-organ/organismal communication. Oat1, therefore, could potentially worsen AKI and might be a potential therapeutic target for early reversal of such injury.