Transcriptomics-based investigation of manganese dioxide nanoparticle toxicity in rats' choroid plexus.

Manganese dioxide nanoparticles (MnO-NPs) have a wide range of applications in biomedicine. Given this widespread usage, it is worth noting that MnO-NPs are definitely toxic, especially to the brain. However, the damage caused by MnO-NPs to the choroid plexus (CP) and to the brain after crossing CP epithelial cells has not been elucidated.

Long noncoding RNA PVT1 enhances the viability and invasion of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells by functioning as ceRNA of microRNA-30a through mediating expression of insulin like growth factor 1 receptor.

Objective: Invasion and metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) significantly affects prognosis and quality of life of patients. Herein, we explored the binding relationship of long noncoding RNA PVT1 as ceRNA to microRNA-30a (miR-30a), and their effect on the development of PTC through regulating insulin like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R).

Methods: PTC and adjacent normal tissues were collected, where the qRT-PCR and western blot assay were employed to evaluate the expression levels of PVT1, miR-30a and IGF1R.

A commercially available preparation of Staphylococcus aureus bio-products potently inhibits tumour growth in a murine model of mesothelioma.

Background And Objective: Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer with a rising global incidence. Intrapleural delivery of a commercially available compound made up of proteins produced by Staphylococcus aureus has been used clinically to induce pleurodesis. We investigate if this bacterial compound has anti-tumoural activities against pleural malignancies, in addition to its pleurodesing effect.

Clodronate liposomes reduce excessive scar formation in a mouse model of burn injury by reducing collagen deposition and TGF-β1 expression.

Clodronate liposome injection is an effective approach to selectively and specifically depleting macrophages. Macrophages play a crucial role in cutaneous wound healing and are associated with excessive scar formation. Use of clodronate liposomes to enhance cutaneous wound healing and reduce scar formation could represent a major advance in wound therapy and hypertrophic scar treatment.

Obesity accelerates ovarian follicle development and follicle loss in rats.

Objective: Studies have shown that excess body fat negatively affects reproductive functions in females. However, whether obesity affects the ovarian follicle development and ovarian lifespan and the underlying mechanism has not been well elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between obesity and ovarian follicle development.

Inpatients' knowledge about primary liver cancer and hepatitis.

Objective: To assess the level of an inpatient population's awareness about hepatitis and primary liver cancer (PLC), the most common type of which is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and then to initiate education of this group.

Methods: A survey was conducted with 1300 participants within the inpatient unit in representative tertiary hospitals in the Chaoshan area of China. Structured questionnaires contained demographic data and statements about different aspects of liver cancer and hepatitis.

PVRL1 as a candidate gene for nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate: no evidence for the involvement of common or rare variants in southern Han Chinese patients.

The poliovirus receptor related-1 (PVRL1) gene encodes nectin-1, a cell-cell adhesion molecule (OMIM #600644), and is mutated in the cleft lip with or without cleft palate/ectodermal dysplasia-1 syndrome (CLPED1, OMIM #225000). In addition, PVRL1 mutations have been associated with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without a cleft palate (NSCL/P) in studies of multiethnic samples. To investigate the possible involvement of this gene in southern Han Chinese NSCL/P patients, we performed (i) a case-control association study, and (ii) a resequencing study.

Case-control and family-based association studies of novel susceptibility locus 8q24 in nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in a Southern Han Chinese population located in Guangdong Province.

Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) is one of the most common congenital malformations and a susceptibility locus on chromosome 8q24 has been replicated as a genetic risk factor for NSCL/P in patients of European and Asian descent. However, given considerable variations in allele frequencies across geographical regions studied, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of rs987525 located at 8q24 with NSCL/P only among the southern Han Chinese population from Guangdong province. We recruited 216 NSCL/P cases, their parents, and 200 controls to conduct case-control analysis and family-based association studies.

[Construction of recombinant adenovirus containing TK gene and its effect against human liver cancer cells].

Objective: To construct a replication-defective adenovirus containing TK gene and investigate the killing effects of TK gene against human liver cancer cells SMMC-7721.

Methods: The recombinant adenovirus ADV-TK was constructed using homologous recombination in the cells. SMMC-7721 cells transfected with recombined adenovirus were exposed to GCV, and the cell viability was measured by MTT assays.

Calorie restriction on insulin resistance and expression of SIRT1 and SIRT4 in rats.

The sirtuin proteins are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dependent deacetylases and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosyl transferases associated with metabolic balance and lifespan extension. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) have been reported to regulate insulin secretion, but their association with the development of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease remain undefined. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of SIRT1 and SIRT4 in the liver and pancreas of rats fed with different diets and analyze the association of these proteins with insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Dual primer emulsion PCR for next- generation DNA sequencing.

We have developed a highly sensitive single-molecule clonal amplification method called dual primer emulsion PCR (DPePCR) for next-generation DNA sequencing. The approach is similar in concept to standard emulsion PCR; however, in DPePCR both primers are attached to the beads, therefore following PCR amplification, both strands of the PCR products are attached to the beads. The ends of each strand can be freed for analysis by restriction digestion of the bridged PCR fragments, which allows efficient paired-end sequencing of fragment libraries.

Lysophosphatidic acid induces alphavbeta6 integrin-mediated TGF-beta activation via the LPA2 receptor and the small G protein G alpha(q).

Activation of latent transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) by alphavbeta6 integrin is critical in the pathogenesis of lung injury and fibrosis. We have previously demonstrated that the stimulation of protease activated receptor 1 promotes alphavbeta6 integrin-mediated TGF-beta activation via RhoA, which is known to modulate cell contraction. However, whether other G protein-coupled receptors can also induce alphavbeta6 integrin-mediated TGF-beta activation is unknown; in addition, the alphavbeta6 integrin signaling pathway has not yet been fully characterized.

A 25-bp ancient spliceosomal intron in the TvRab1a gene of Trichomonas vaginalis.

Spliceosomal introns play a key role in eukaryotic genome evolution and protein diversity. A large Rab GTPase family has been identified in a unicellular eukaryote Trichomonas vaginalis. However, the characteristics of introns in Rab genes of T.

Isolation of a novel ras gene from Trichomonas vaginalis: a possible evolutionary ancestor of the Ras and Rap genes of higher eukaryotes.

The Ras subfamily proteins are small, monomeric GTP-binding proteins with vital roles in regulating eukaryotic signal transduction pathways. Gene duplication and divergence have been postulated as the mechanism by which such family members have evolved their specific functions. A cDNA clone of TvRsp was isolated and sequenced from a cDNA expression library of the primitive eukaryote Trichomonas vaginalis.

[Molecular cloning and characterization of a RRas homologue gene from Trichomonas vaginalis].

Objective: To clone and characterize a RRas-like gene from Trichomonas vaginalis for studying cellular signal transduction pathways in the organism.

Methods: A cDNA clone, which showed homology with RRas proteins of human being, was isolated and sequenced from a cDNA expression library of T. vaginalis.

[Analysis of HLA-B locus gene polymorphism in Sichuan Yi ethnic group and Xinjiang Uygur ethnic group].

The polymorphism of HLA-B alleles in Sichuan Yi and Xinjiang Uygur population was investigated using the PCR-SSP method. Twenty one alleles were detected in HLA-B loci in 106 Sichuan unrelated Yi healthy subjects. Of them, B*40, B*15 and B*51 were the most common alleles with an allele frequency of 0.

[Genetic polymorphism of human immunodeficiency virus coreceptor CCR5Delta32 and CCR2-64I alleles in Chinese Yi Ethnic group in Sichuan].

Objective: To explore genetic polymorphisms CCR5 of HIV coreceptor and CCR2 in Chinese Yi Ethnic group in Sichuan.

Methods: Genomic DNA samples were obtained from 119 healthy individuals and 88 HIV-1 infected individuals of Chinese Yi Ethnic group in Sichuan. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloning and gene sequencing techniques were employed to identify the genotype of CCR5Delta32; PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and gene sequencing were employed to identify the CCR2-64I alleles.

Association of HLA-B alleles with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in the Yi ethnic group in Sichuan province.

Objective: To determine the distribution of HLA-B alleles in the Chinese Yi ethnic group and its association with HIV infection.

Methods: One hundred and six unrelated healthy HIV negative and 73 HIV positive Chinese Yi ethnic individuals were typed by PCR-SSP.

Results: The frequency of alleles B*07, Bx 35, and B*46 were increased in HIV-1-positive subjects, whereas the alleles B*55, B*44 and B*78 were absent in the HIV-infected persons studied.

Production of a human single-chain variable fragment antibody against esophageal carcinoma.

Aim: To construct a phage display library of human single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies associated with esophageal cancer and to preliminarily screen a scFv antibody against esophageal cancer.

Methods: Total RNA extracted from metastatic lymph nodes of esophageal cancer patients was used to construct a scFv gene library. Rescued by M13K07 helper phage, the scFv phage display library was constructed.