Characterization of the UDP-glycosyltransferase UGT33D1 in silkworm Bombyx mori.

Uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are important metabolizing enzymes functioning by adding a sugar moiety to a small lipophilic substrate molecule and play critical roles in drug/toxin metabolism for all realms of life. In this study, the silkworm Bombyx mori UGT33D1 gene was characterized in detail. UGT33D1 was found localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) compartment just like other animal UGTs and was mainly expressed in the silkworm midgut.

Silkworm glycosaminoglycans bind to Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus and facilitate its entry.

Interacting with cell surface attachment factors or receptors is the first step for virus infection. Glycans cover a thick layer on eukaryotic cells and are potential targets of various viruses. Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis viruses (BmNPV) is a baculovirus that causes huge economic loss to the sericulture industry but the mechanism of infection is unclear.

Dynamic Changes of Brain Activity in Different Responsive Groups of Patients with Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness.

As medical technology continues to improve, many patients diagnosed with brain injury survive after treatments but are still in a coma. Further, multiple clinical studies have demonstrated recovery of consciousness after transcranial direct current stimulation. To identify possible neurophysiological mechanisms underlying disorders of consciousness (DOCs) improvement, we examined the changes in multiple resting-state EEG microstate parameters after high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS).

Functional Connectivity Increases in Response to High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients with Chronic Disorder of Consciousness.

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) has been shown to play an important role in improving consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOCs), but its neuroelectrophysiological evidence is still lacking. To better explain the electrophysiological mechanisms of the effects of HD-tDCS on patients with DOCs, 22 DOC patients underwent 10 anodal HD-tDCS sessions of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). This study used the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) to assess the level of consciousness in DOC patients.

Proteomic and Targeted Metabolomic Studies on a Silkworm Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder that is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. Animal models of PD have become very popular in the past two decades to understand the etiology, pathology, and molecular and cellular pathways associated with PD. In this study, we report the first neurotoxin-induced silkworm model for PD by chronic feeding with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and explore the possible molecular mechanisms associated with PD using proteomic and targeted metabolomic approaches.

High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Modulates the Electroencephalography Rhythmic Activity of Parietal Occipital Lobe in Patients With Chronic Disorders of Consciousness.

Background: Disorders of consciousness (DOC) are a spectrum of pathologies affecting one's ability to interact with the external world. At present, High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) is used in many patients with DOC as a non-invasive treatment, but electrophysiological research on the effect of HD-tDCS on patients with DOC is limited.

Objectives: To explore how HD-tDCS affects the cerebral cortex and examine the possible electrophysiological mechanisms underlying the effects of HD-tDCS on the cerebral cortex.

[Role of sympathetic nerve activity and arterial endothelial function in pathogenesis of hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome].

Objective: To explore the role of sympathetic nerve activity and vessel endothelial function in the pathogenesis of hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Methods: Based on polysomnography (PSG), blood pressure (BP) and disease history, 93 subjects were divided into four groups: OSAHS with hypertension (OH), OSAHS without hypertension (O), hypertension without OSAHS (H), normal control (N). In addition to the blood pressure measurement, blood samples were collected before and after sleep during the PSG testing night to measure norepinephrine, endothelin, and NO levels.