Two C-terminal isoforms of Aplysia tachykinin-related peptide receptors exhibit phosphorylation-dependent and phosphorylation-independent desensitization mechanisms.

Diversity, a hallmark of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, partly stems from alternative splicing of a single gene generating more than one isoform for a receptor. Additionally, receptor responses to ligands can be attenuated by desensitization upon prolonged or repeated ligand exposure. Both phenomena have been demonstrated and exemplified by the deuterostome tachykinin signaling system, although the role of phosphorylation in desensitization remains a subject of debate.

Identification of three elevenin receptors and roles of elevenin disulfide bond and residues in receptor activation in Aplysia californica.

Neuropeptides are ubiquitous intercellular signaling molecules in the CNS and play diverse roles in modulating physiological functions by acting on specific G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Among them, the elevenin signaling system is now believed to be present primarily in protostomes. Although elevenin was first identified from the L11 neuron of the abdominal ganglion in mollusc Aplysia californica, no receptors have been described in Aplysia, nor in any other molluscs.

IP6 reduces colorectal cancer metastasis by mediating the interaction of gut microbiota with host genes.

Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is a phytochemical widely found in grains and legumes that plays an anti-cancer role. However, the mechanism underlying the inhibition of colorectal cancer metastasis by IP6 through host genes, gut microbiota, and their interactions remain elusive. In this study, 16S rRNA sequencing was used to study the effect of IP6 on gut microbiota in an orthotopic transplantation model of colorectal cancer mice.

Increased expression of Myosin X contributes to the metastasis in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC) is one of the most common malignancy in Head and neck cancer for which the mechanism underlying its metastasis is poorly understood. Myosin X, a molecular motor in cells has been demonstrated to play an important role in cell migration. However, whether Myosin X is involved in the metastasis of LSCC remains unclear.

Effect of social support on illness perception in patients with atrial fibrillation during "Blanking Period": Mediating role of sense of mastery.

Aim: To explore whether sense of mastery can mediate the relationship between social support and illness perception in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who were at the "Blanking Period."

Design: A cross-sectional design.

Methods: 405 patients with AF who were at the "Blanking Period" in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were recruited; they completed a set of questionnaires, including the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Personal Mastery Scale and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire.

PD-1 mediates decidual γδ T cells cytotoxicity during recurrent pregnancy loss.

Problem: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is one of the big challenges of normal pregnancy. Immune dysregulation has been proposed for the key underline mechanisms of RPL. However, the essential roles of T cells, especially γδ T cells, have not been defined.

Butyrate ameliorates alcoholic fatty liver disease via reducing endotoxemia and inhibiting liver gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis.

Background: Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is characterized by hepatic steatosis and carries an elevated risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the mechanism of AFLD has not been elucidated thoroughly, and there are still no efficient therapies in clinic. Notably, butyrate, one kind of short-chain fatty acids produced by gut microbiota, has been shown to improve methionine-choline-deficient diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Dysoxylactam A: A Macrocyclolipopeptide Reverses P-Glycoprotein-Mediated Multidrug Resistance in Cancer Cells.

A 17-membered macrocyclolipopeptide, named dysoxylactam A (1) comprising an unprecedented branched C19 fatty acid and an l-valine, was isolated from the plants of Dysoxylum hongkongense. The challenging relative configuration of 1 was established by means of residual dipolar coupling-based NMR analysis. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction on its p-bromobenzoate derivative (2).

From Hyper- to Hypoinsulinemia and Diabetes: Effect of KCNH6 on Insulin Secretion.

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from islet β cells is mediated by K channels. However, the role of non-K K channels in insulin secretion is largely unknown. Here, we show that a non-K K channel, KCNH6, plays a key role in insulin secretion and glucose hemostasis in humans and mice.

The truncated mutant HBsAg expression increases the tumorigenesis of hepatitis B virus by regulating TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.

Background: It has been reported that the emergence of HBV rtA181T/sW172* mutant could result in a dominant secretion defect of HBsAg and increase the risk of HCC development. This study was designed to reveal the role and possible pathogenic mechanism of truncated mutant HBsAg in tumorigenesis of HBV rtA181T/sW172* mutant.

Results: As compared to wide type or substituted mutant HBsAg, the ratio of cell clones was significant higher in L02 cells stable expressing truncated mutant HBsAg.

Preliminary research on DNA methylation changes during murine palatogenesis induced by TCDD.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlrodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has been shown to induce cleft palate through growth factor and receptor expression changes during palatogenesis. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that can regulate gene expressions and may be involved in TCDD-induced cleft palate. In this study, we investigated the effects of TCDD on the global and CpG DNA methylation status and the expression levels of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts) in palate tissue of fetal mice.

Biological characteristics comparison of HBV rtA181T mutants with truncated or substituted HBsAg expression in vitro and in vivo model systems.

The hepatitis B virus(HBV) polymerase rtA181T mutation is selected during long-term antiviral therapy. As the polymerase gene completely overlaps with the envelope (S) gene, HBV rtA181T mutation also carries sW172 mutations. In this study, we investigated whether there were biological differences between rtA181T/sW172* (coding truncated HBsAg) and rtA181T/sW172L (coding substituted HBsAg) mutants.

Ciliatonoids A and B, Two Limonoids from Toona ciliata.

Three new ring B-seco limonoids, ciliatonoids A-C (1-3), were isolated from Toona ciliate and structurally characterized by spectroscopic data, X-ray crystallography, and electronic circular dichroism analysis. Ciliatonoids A and B feature an unprecedented limonoid architecture, while ciliatonoid C belongs to a rare class of limonoids. Biological evaluation showed that compound 3 exhibited modest activities against the tested tumor cell lines.

Enhancement of CD4(+) T cell response and survival via coexpressed OX40/OX40L in Graves' disease.

OX40/OX40L pathway plays a very important role in the antigen priming T cells and effector T cells. In the present study, we aimed to examine the involvement of OX40/OX40L pathway in the activation of autoreactive T cells in patients with Grave's disease (GD). We found that OX40 and OX40L were constitutively coexpressed on peripheral CD4(+) T cells from GD patients using flow cytometry analysis.

Diagnostic Value of Common Inflammatory Markers on Fever of Unknown Origin.

This study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic value of common inflammatory markers with regard to fever of unknown origin (FUO). We investigated 383 patients who were hospitalized with FUO at the Henan Province People's hospital between January 2009 and June 2015. Of all the cases, infectious diseases accounted for 33.

Factors associated with mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus despite immunoprophylaxis.

Objective: This study aimed to assess risk factors for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) after immunoprophylaxis.

Methods: Risk factors for MTCT were assessed using a multivariate logistic regression model.

Patients: We enrolled 256 mother-child pairs with positive maternal hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) between January 2010 and June 2013.

Trichiconins A-C, limonoids with new carbon skeletons from Trichilia connaroides.

Three limonoids, trichiconin A (1) possessing a new carbon skeleton of a rearranged A,B-ring system and trichiconins B (2) and C (3) featuring an unprecedented A,B,D-seco skeleton, were isolated from the twigs of Trichilia connaroides. The carbon scaffold of trichiconin A is designated as trichiconane. Their structures with absolute stereochemistry were determined by spectroscopic data, X-ray crystallography, and CD analysis.

Eurifoloids A-R, structurally diverse diterpenoids from Euphorbia neriifolia.

Eighteen new diterpenoids, named eurifoloids A-R (1-18), including ingenane (1 and 2), abietane (3-7), isopimarane (8-12), and ent-atisane (13-18) types, along with four known analogues were isolated from Euphorbia neriifolia. Eurifoloid M (13) represents a rare class of ent-atisane-type norditerpenoid. Eurifoloids E (5) and F (6) exhibited significant anti-HIV activities, with EC50 values of 3.

Diterpenoids from Croton laui and their cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities.

Fourteen new diterpenoids including clerodane (1-12), labdane (13), and norlabdane (14) types, as well as nine known analogues were isolated from the aerial parts of Croton laui. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, and that of crotonolide H (11) was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Crotonolide A (1) exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against two tumor cell lines, HL-60 (human premyelocytic leukemia, IC50 9.

Activated effects of parathyroid hormone-related protein on human hepatic stellate cells.

Background & Aims: After years of experiments and clinical studies, parathyroid hormone-related protein(PTHrP) has been shown to be a bone formation promoter that elicits rapid effects with limited adverse reaction. Recently, PTHrP was reported to promote fibrosis in rat kidney in conjunction with transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1), which is also a fibrosis promoter in liver. However, the effect of PTHrP in liver has not been determined.

[Investigation on the difference of intolerance to food between southern and northern middle-aged Chinese and its association with eating habits].

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the difference of intolerance to food between southern and northern middle-aged Chinese, and furthermore analyze its association with eating habits in both study population.

Methods: ELISA was applied to determine the serum concentrations of specific IgG of 14 food anaphylactogen in 1568 healthy subjects from totally 9 districts in both southern and northern China. Life style questionnaire was also applied to investigate the daily intake of six categorizes of food associated with food intolerance.

[The antagonistic effect of folic acid and resveratrol on cleft palate in mice induced by TCDD].

Objective: To evaluate whether or not administration of folic acid and resveratrol have preventive effects on cleft palate formation as well as the comparison of the two drugs' s effects.

Methods: Pregnant mice were randomly divided into 9 groups, with 8 mice in each group. The TCDD group mice were dosed with TCDD 28 microg/kg body weight on gestation day 10 (GD 10) animals in folic acid group were respectively dosed with folic acid 15, 10, 5 mg/kg and TCDD 28 microg/kg; resveratrol treated mice were divided into 3 groups: resveratrol 50 mg/kg were orally administered for 6 consecutive days, from gestational day GD 8 to GD13 in resveratrol (GD8-13 ) group; resveratrol 50 mg/kg were orally administered for 6 consecutive days, from gestational day GD 8 to GD13, followed hy an oral administered with TCDD on GD10 in resveratrol (GD8-13) + TCDD group; resveratrol 50mg/kg and TCDD 28 microg/kg were used by gavage administration at GD10 in resveratrol (GD10) + TCDD group.

[Allergen analysis on patients with allergic rhinitis in Lanzhou].

Objective: To investigate the effective clinical diagnosis and treatment for allergic rhinitis (AR) by examining the allergens and dietary habits of the patients.

Methods: A total of 347 patients from Lanzhou area were sampled between April 2010 and March 2012. Free point skin prick test were performed to analyze the allergens.

[Expression of B7-H3 costimulatory molecule in peripheral blood of myasthenia gravis patients].

Aim: To reveal the clinical significance of B7-H3 costimulatory molecule in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients by analyzing membranous B7-H3 (mB7-H3) and soluble B7-H3 (sB7-H3) expressions.

Methods: We collected peripheral blood samples of 35 MG patients and 44 health controls (HC) and detected the expression of mB7-H3 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using flow cytometry. ELISA was performed to analyze the levels of sB7-H3 in plasma samples from MG patients and HC.