Variegation patterns caused by excision of the maize transposable element Dissociation (Ds) are autonomously regulated by allele-specific Activator (Ac) elements and are not due to trans-acting modifier genes

The Ac elements present in the unstable wxm7 and wx-m9 alleles of maize trigger different patterns of Ds excision in trans. To determine whether this differential regulation is a feature of the Ac alleles themselves or is mediated by genetically distinct factors, maize plants heterozygous for the wx-m7 and wx-m9 alleles were crossed to tester strains homozygous for Ds reporter alleles. Kernels showing the variegation pattern characteristic for the Ac elements carried in the wx-m7 and wx-m9 alleles were found to be present in the ratios expected from the genetic constitution of the strains. The aleurone variegation caused by excision of the Ds reporter element and the endosperm variegation caused by excision of Ac from the wx-m7 and wx-m9 alleles themselves segregated with the original wx-m alleles. In addition, stable Wx and wx derivatives of wx-m9 that have lost Ac no longer exert any trans effect on the wx-m7 allele (and vice versa). Therefore it is concluded that the observed variegation patterns are autonomously determined by specific trans effects of the particular Ac element.     

益心康泰胶囊联合硫氮唑酮对不稳定型心绞痛患者心功能及血清ET-1、Hcy、cTnT水平的影响

摘要 目的：探讨益心康泰胶囊联合硫氮唑酮对不稳定型心绞痛（UAP）患者心功能及血清ET-1、Hcy、cTnT水平的影响。方法：选择2019年3月到2021年3月期间在我院接受治疗的UAP患者84例,按照随机数字表法分为研究组和对照组各42例,对照组给予阿司匹林、硝酸酯类、?茁-受体阻滞剂及他汀类药物等常规治疗,研究组在其基础上给予益心康泰胶囊联合硫氮唑酮治疗,两组均治疗30 d。对比两组患者的心绞痛疗效、心功能指标、血清学指标、心绞痛发作次数和持续时间、不良反应发生率。结果：研究组临床总有效率高于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组治疗后的QT间期离散度(QTd)、左室舒张末径(LVEDD)、左室收缩末径(LVESD)均低于对照组,而左室射血分数(LVEF)高于对照组 (P<0.05)。治疗后研究组心绞痛发作次数和持续时间均低于对照组（P<0.05）。治疗后研究组患者的血管内皮素1(ET-1)、同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)、心肌肌钙蛋白T(cTnT)水平均低于对照组(P<0.05)。两组不良反应总发生率无明显差异（P>0.05）。结论：益心康泰胶囊联合硫氮唑酮治疗UAP患者疗效较好,能减少患者心绞痛持续时间和发作次数,增强患者的心功能,降低ET-1、Hcy、cTnT水平,且具有较好的安全性,具有一定临床应用价值。     

Decreased plasma nesfatin-1 levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Nesfatin-1 is a novel anorexigenic hormone which has close relationship with diabetes, obese, anorexia nervosa, psychiatric disorders and neurogenic diseases. The aim of our study was to evaluate levels of plasma nesfatin-1 among patients presenting with coronary artery disease and the correlation between nesfatin-1 levels and other clinical parameters. Fasting plasma levels of nesfatin-1 were tested in 48 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, 74 stable angina pectoris (SAP) patients and 34 control subjects. All of them were examined by coronary angiography. The severity of coronary atherosclerosis was assessed using the Gensini score. Plasma nesfatin-1 levels were significantly lower in AMI group than SAP group or control group (0.91 ± 0.08 ng/mL vs. 0.98 ± 0.19 ng/mL and 1.09 ± 0.39 ng/mL, respectively, P < 0.05). In AMI patients, plasma nesfatin-1 levels were negatively correlated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, neutrophil% or Gensini scores. Such information implies that lower nesfatin-1 concentration may play a very important role in the development of AMI.     

不同程度内质网应激对ApoE-/- 小鼠动脉粥样硬化斑块稳定性的影响

目的:采用Apo E-/-小鼠建立不稳定动脉粥样硬化斑块模型,给予不同剂量衣霉素,观察其对动脉粥样硬化斑块稳定性的影响。方法:取40只6-8周的Apo E-/-小鼠随机分为对照组和手术组。对照组小鼠给予正常饮食;手术组小鼠行右侧颈总动脉套管术(Perivascular carotid collar placement,PCCP),同时给予高脂喂养。9周末分别取对照组和手术组小鼠颈动脉,HE染色观察小鼠颈动脉斑块形成情况。成功造模后,将小鼠随机分为正常对照组、单纯PCCP组、小剂量衣霉素组和大剂量衣霉素组;正常对照组和单纯PCCP组给予生理盐水腹腔注射,小剂量衣霉素组和大剂量衣霉素组分别给予小剂量衣霉素、大剂量衣霉素腹腔注射。2周后,处死小鼠,通过HE染色观察颈动脉斑块形态,油红O染色观察斑块内脂质聚集,抗巨噬细胞免疫组化染色观察斑块内巨噬细胞聚集,Western-blot检内质网应激标志蛋白GRP78和自噬标志蛋白Atg7、P62的表达水平。结果:HE染色结果显示:与单纯PCCP组和大剂量衣霉素组相比,小剂量衣霉素组颈动脉腔内的斑块脂质池减少,斑块结构较为完整且相对稳定;油红O染色结果显示:小剂量衣霉素组斑块内脂质含量显著降低(P0.05 vs单纯PCCP组和大剂量衣霉素组);巨噬细胞免疫组化染色显示:与单纯PCCP组和大剂量衣霉素组相比,小剂量衣霉素组斑块内巨噬细胞的含量显著降低(P0.05);Western-blot结果显示:小剂量衣霉素干预诱导的一定程度的内质网应激可以适度上调自噬(P0.05 vs单纯PCCP组和大剂量衣霉素组)。结论:PCCP手术加高脂饮食可以短期成功建立小鼠不稳定动脉粥样硬化斑块模型,其动脉粥样硬化斑块不稳定性较高,而小剂量衣霉素干预可以使得颈动脉管腔内斑块相对较小,内部脂质池明显较小,纤维帽变厚且结构更完整,斑块结构较稳定;斑块内脂质含量降低;巨噬细胞含量明显降低,且小剂量衣霉素组自噬水平适度上调。因此,小剂量衣霉素干预引起的适度的内质网应激一定程度对动脉粥样硬化斑块起到保护作用。     

Effects of Rho-kinase inhibitor on vasopressin-induced chronic myocardial damage in rats

The aim of this study was to develop a new model of vasopressin-induced chronic myocardial damage based on sustained ST-segment depression in electrocardiogram (ECG) with progression of myocardial fibrosis in rats. Furthermore, using this model, we examined the prophylactic potential of fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, against myocardial damage induced by vasopressin. In 10-week old male Donryu rats, intravenous administration of arginine vasopressin (0.5 iu/kg) induced significant ST-segment depression. Two days and one week after the administration of vasopressin, ST-segment depression was -0.19 +/- 0.02 and -0.14 +/- 0.02 mV, respectively. Fasudil (10 and 30 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly attenuated the ST-segment depression induced by vasopressin. One week after the administration of vasopressin, the percent area of myocardial fibrosis in control animals (0.42 +/- 0.11%, p < 0.01) was significantly greater than that in normal animals (0.05 +/- 0.01%). Fasudil (10 and 30 mg/kg) significantly prevented the development of the fibrosis. We present a new model of chronic myocardial damage based on sustained ST-segment depression with progression of myocardial fibrosis in rats, and suggest that this model may be useful to investigate the treatment of chronic angina. Inhibition of Rho-kinase is efficacious in preventing the ECG change and development of fibrosis induced by vasopressin in this model.     

The peripheral blood mononuclear cell microRNA signature of coronary artery disease

Background

MicroRNAs are being used in the oncology field to characterize tumors and predict the survival of cancer patients. Here, we explored the potential of microRNAs as biomarkers for coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute coronary syndromes.

Methods and results

Using real-time PCR-based profiling, we determined the microRNA signature of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from stable and unstable CAD patients and unaffected controls. 129 of 157 microRNAs measured were expressed by PBMCs and low variability between separate PBMC pools was observed. The presence of CAD in general coincided with a marked 5-fold increase (P < 0.001) in the relative expression level of miR-135a, while the expression of miR-147 was 4-fold decreased (P < 0.05) in PBMCs from CAD patients as compared to controls, resulting in a 19-fold higher miR-135a/miR-147 ratio (P < 0.001) in CAD. MicroRNA/target gene/biological function linkage analysis suggested that the change in PBMC microRNA signature in CAD patients is probably associated with a change in intracellular cadherin/Wnt signaling. Interestingly, unstable angina pectoris patients could be discriminated from stable patients based upon their relatively high expression level of a cluster of three microRNAs including miR-134, miR-198, and miR-370, suggesting that the microRNA signatures can be used to identify patients at risk for acute coronary syndromes.

Conclusions

The present study is the first to show that microRNA signatures can possibly be utilized to identify patients exhibiting atherosclerotic CAD in general and those at risk for acute coronary syndromes. Our findings highlight the importance of microRNAs signatures as novel tool to predict clinical disease outcomes.     

合贝爽联合阿托伐他汀治疗不稳定型心绞痛的效果分析

目的:分析合贝爽联合阿托伐他汀治疗不稳定型心绞痛的临床疗效,为相关治疗提供参考。方法:回顾性分析我院2007年1月至2009年6月确诊为不稳定型心绞痛而住院的患者140例,随机分为常规治疗组、合贝爽治疗组、阿托伐他汀治疗组与合贝爽联合阿托伐他汀治疗组,每组35例患者,持续用药治疗2周后,分析比较各组临床症状的缓解或消失情况。结果:合贝爽联合阿托伐他汀治疗组的心电图(ST-T改变)、早搏、心悸、胸痛、胸闷等主要症状的改善程度明显高于其他三组,差异有统计学意义,P<0.01,但其产生不良反应率偏高。结论:合贝爽联合阿托伐他汀治疗不稳定心绞痛虽可显著缓解心绞痛发作症状,但是也存在较大的副作用,用药时需要引起注意。     

Comparison of naturally acquired antibody responses against the C-terminal processing products of Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein-1 under low transmission and unstable malaria conditions in Sri Lanka

We report here, for the first time, a comparison of naturally acquired antibody responses to the 42 and 19 kDa C-terminal processing products of Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein-1 assayed by ELISA using p42 and p19 baculovirus-derived recombinant proteins, respectively. Test populations comprised patients with microscopy confirmed acute P. vivax infections from two regions endemic for vivax malaria where low transmission and unstable malaria conditions prevail, and a non-endemic urban area, in Sri Lanka. The antibody prevalence to the two proteins, both at the individual and population levels, tend to respond more to p42 than to p19 in all test areas, where >14% of individuals preferentially recognized p42, compared with <2% for p19. In patients with no previous exposure to malaria, 21% preferentially recognized p42, whereas none exclusively recognized p19. A significantly lower prevalence of anti-p19 IgM, but not anti-p42 IgM, was observed among residents from endemic areas compared with their non-endemic counterparts. Individuals from both endemic areas produced significantly less anti-p19 IgM compared with anti-p42 IgM. IgG1 was the predominant IgG isotype for both antigens in all individuals. With increasing exposure to malaria in both endemic areas, anti-p19 antibody responses were dominated by the functionally important IgG1 and IgG3 isotypes, with a concurrent reduction in IgM that was lacking in the non-endemic residents. This antibody switch was also reflected for PvAMA-1 as we previously reported with the identical battery of sera. In contrast, the antibody switch for p42 was restricted to endemic residents with more extensive exposure. These results suggest that an IgM-dominated antibody response against the p42 polymorphic region in endemic residents may interfere with the development of an IgG-dominated "protective" isotype shift to p19, that may complicate vaccine development.     

Transient oscillations induced by delayed growth response in the chemostat

In this paper, in order to try to account for the transient oscillations observed in chemostat experiments, we consider a model of single species growth in a chemostat that involves delayed growth response. The time delay models the lag involved in the nutrient conversion process. Both monotone response functions and nonmonotone response functions are considered. The nonmonotone response function models the inhibitory effects of growth response of certain nutrients when concentrations are too high. By applying local and global Hopf bifurcation theorems, we prove that the model has unstable periodic solutions that bifurcate from unstable nonnegative equilibria as the parameter measuring the delay passes through certain critical values and that these local periodic solutions can persist, even if the delay parameter moves far from the critical (local) bifurcation values.When there are two positive equilibria, then positive periodic solutions can exist. When there is a unique positive equilibrium, the model does not have positive periodic oscillations and the unique positive equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable. However, the model can have periodic solutions that change sign. Although these solutions are not biologically meaningful, provided the initial data starts close enough to the unstable manifold of one of these periodic solutions they may still help to account for the transient oscillations that have been frequently observed in chemostat experiments. Numerical simulations are provided to illustrate that the model has varying degrees of transient oscillatory behaviour that can be controlled by the choice of the initial data.Mathematics Subject Classification: 34D20, 34K20, 92D25Research was partially supported by NSERC of Canada.This work was partly done while this author was a postdoc at McMaster.