Cardiomyocyte peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α prevents septic cardiomyopathy via improving mitochondrial function.

Clinically, cardiac dysfunction is a key component of sepsis-induced multi-organ failure. Mitochondria are essential for cardiomyocyte homeostasis, as disruption of mitochondrial dynamics enhances mitophagy and apoptosis. However, therapies targeted to improve mitochondrial function in septic patients have not been explored.

Cardiomyocyte peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α is essential for energy metabolism and extracellular matrix homeostasis during pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), a ligand-activated nuclear receptor critical for systemic lipid homeostasis, has been shown closely related to cardiac remodeling. However, the roles of cardiomyocyte PPARα in pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling remains unclear because of lacking a cardiomyocyte-specific Ppara-deficient (Ppara) mouse model. This study aimed to determine the specific role of cardiomyocyte PPARα in transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced cardiac remodeling using an inducible Ppara mouse model.

Transfer of mitochondria from mesenchymal stem cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells attenuates hypoxia-ischemia-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in PC12 cells.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in neurons has been implicated in hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain injury. Although mesenchymal stem cell therapy has emerged as a novel treatment for this pathology, the mechanisms are not fully understood. To address this issue, we first co-cultured 1.

Soluble Nogo receptor 1 fusion protein protects neural progenitor cells in rats with ischemic stroke.

Soluble Nogo66 receptor-Fc protein (sNgR-Fc) enhances axonal regeneration following central nervous system injury. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of sNgR-Fc on the proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells.

[Impact of CACNA1C polymorphisms on antihypertensive efficacy of calcium channel blocker].

Objective: To explore the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of CACNA1C that encoded the a1c subunit of the L-type calcium channel and the efficacy of calcium channel blocker (CCB, Nifedipine extended release tablet/20 mg/d) in essential hypertension (EH) patients of Han Chinese in Wenzhou.

Methods: For the enrolled 103 EH patients, Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (Multi-PCR) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight MS (MLDI-TOF MS) were performed to detect their genotypes (rs216008, rs1051375, rs2299661, rs10848683, rs215976), blood pressure (BP) after CCB monotherapy was compared among patients with different genotypes.

Results: (1) Blood pressure was significantly reduced in all patients post CCB (P < 0.

[Functional analysis of promoter fragments of salt-tolerance related genes in Spirulina].

In this work, the functions of promoter fragments of two potential salt-tolerance related genes of Spirulina (Spirulina platensis Geitl.) were studied using green fluorescent protein gene (gfp) as a reporter. The promoter structures of two salt-tolerance related genes of Spirulina were predicted using online promoter prediction software.

Prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance in Escherichia coli isolates in Wenzhou, Southern China, 2002-2008.

A total of 514 consecutive clinical Escherichia coli isolates, irrespective of resistance background, were collected in the period 2002-2008 in Wenzhou, southern China, to investigate the prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR). The dominant PMQR gene was aac(6')-Ib-cr, followed by qnr, whereas qepA was absent. A total of 253 (49.

Adaptive evolution of cry genes in Bacillus thuringiensis: implications for their specificity determination.

The cry gene family, produced during the late exponential phase of growth in Bacillus thuringiensis, is a large, still-growing family of homologous genes, in which each gene encodes a protein with strong specific activity against only one or a few insect species. Extensive studies are mostly focusing on the structural and functional relationships of Cry proteins, and have revealed several residues or domains that are important for the target recognition and receptor attachment. In this study, we have employed a maximum likelihood method to detect evidence of adaptive evolution in Cry proteins, and have identified 24 positively selected residues, which are all located in Domain II or III.

[Association of CD14 gene polymorphism with atopic diseases in Chinese Han ethnic group children].

Objective: To investigate the distribution characteristics of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the human CD14 gene in Chinese Han ethnic group children in Wenzhou, and their association with atopic diseases.

Methods: Totally 113 cases were recruited in atopic disease group who met the following criteria: 2 - 12 years old, clinically diagnosed as asthma or allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, elevation of serum total IgE levels and serum specific IgE. Sixty-seven healthy children were enrolled in control group.

Genetic distance of SARS coronavirus from the recent natural case.

Phylogenetic analysis of SARS coronavirus isolates based on the spike gene and protein sequence using Neighbor-Joining, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods indicated that a recent human SARS-CoV isolate was closer to some human SARS-CoV isolates from earlier epidemic phase than to the SARS-CoV-like viruses isolated from wild animals during previous epidemic phase. A reasonable judgment based on phylogenetic relationship and sequence variations it is likely that the recent human SARS-CoV isolate is closer to an unknown SARS-CoV predecessor.

Polymorphism of SARS-CoV genomes.

In this work, severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) genome BJ202 (AY864806) was completely sequenced. The genome was directly accessed from the stool sample of a patient in Beijing. Comparative genomics methods were used to analyze the sequence variations of 116 SARS-CoV genomes (including BJ202) available in the NCBI GenBank.

[Factors that influence direct sequencing of PCR products].

Factors influenced direct sequencing of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) products were investigated in this paper. It showed that the specialization of PCR products played a key role in their sequencing reactions and only which could be sequenced directly. It also showed that the PCR reaction residues (including dNTP, primers,and metal ion) affected badly on the sequencing quality, so the purification of PCR products was necessary before sequencing.

Molecular evolution and multilocus sequence typing of 145 strains of SARS-CoV.

In this study, we have identified 876 polymorphism sites in 145 complete or partial genomes of SARS-CoV available in the NCBI GenBank. One hundred and seventy-four of these sites existed in two or more SARS-CoV genome sequences. According to the sequence polymorphism, all SARS-CoVs can be divided into three groups: (I) group 1, animal-origin viruses (such as SARS-CoV SZ1, SZ3, SZ13 and SZ16); (II) group 2, all viruses with clinical origin during first epidemic; and (III) group 3, SARS-CoV GD03T0013.