Dual-mode, signal-amplified DNA biosensor for label-free, reliable assay of gestational diabetes mellitus-related miRNA (miR-135a).

miR-135a is highly expressed in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus, and its target genes are also involved in insulin signaling pathway, so it is one biomarker for gestational diabetes mellitus. Herein we designed a dual-mode DNA biosensor for reliable assay of miR-135a based on the fluorescence and colorimetric signals. Several experiments were carried out to demonstrate the assay feasibility and mechanism for this dual-mode DNA biosensor.

[Research progress on induced hepatic stellate cell ferroptosis in prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis].

Liver fibrosis is a key pathological stage in the progression of chronic liver disease. If the disease is mistreated, it can further deteriorate into liver failure, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients and brings heavy medical costs. Hepatic stellate cell(HSC) activation triggers extracellular matrix(ECM) deposition, which plays an important driving role in liver fibrosis, and ferroptosis is an effective strategy to clear or reverse the activation of HSCs into a deactivated phenotype.

Age and mean platelet volume-based nomogram for predicting the therapeutic efficacy of metoprolol in Chinese pediatric patients with vasovagal syncope.

Background: Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is the most common type of orthostatic intolerance in children. We investigated whether platelet-related factors related to treatment efficacy in children suffering from VVS treated with metoprolol.

Methods: Metoprolol-treated VVS patients were recruited.

Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles Stain Hydrogels for the Portable and High-Throughput Monitoring of Mercury Ions.

The hybrid of l-cysteine and agarose can reduce HAuCl and support the rapid growth of plasmonic gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in the hydrogel phase. The l-cysteine-doped agarose hydrogel (C-AGH) not only offers the substrate the capacity to reduce Au(III) ions but also stabilizes and precisely modulates the grown Au NPs with high repeatability, easy operation, and anti-interference performance. Herein, before the incubation of HAuCl, the improved hydrogel is preincubated in the aqueous solution containing mercury ions, and the cysteine can specifically conjugate with mercury the thiol groups.

Mercury ion-engineering Au plasmonics on MoS layers for absorption-shifted optical sensors.

Semiconducting MoS layers offer the electrons, reducing conjugated Au(I) to Au atoms, and sebsequently serve as desirable substrates for supporting the interfacial growths of gold nanostructures. Au-covering MoS heterostructures perform morphology-varied optical characteristics, and the surface engineering of MoS involved by Hg ions results in the differential growths of nanostructures and morphological diversities. Naked-eye colorimetric responses to mercury ions, with a low limit of detection of 1.

Mitochondrial genome of captive Alpine musk deer, (Moschidae), and phylogenetic analyses with its coordinal species.

Alpine musk deer, , a solitary, primitive ungulate inhabiting high elevation areas (3000-4500 m) is an endangered species facing threat of extinction globally due to excessive hunting for its musk. In this study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome of , which was 16,354 bp in length, and revealed the same gene order and genomic organization as typical Moschidae mitochondrial DNA. Start codons in 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) were all typical ATGs except ATA for and and ATT for .

Characterization of the complete mitogenomes of Baillon's Crake and phylogenetic analysis.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Baillon's Crake (Gruiformes: Rallidae) are sequenced and annotated, which contained 37 typical genes. The length of the complete mitochondrial genome is 16,966 bp (GenBank No. MW043485), with As, Ts, Cs, Gs, and AT content of the mitochondrial genome is 32.

Integrative Epigenomic Analysis of Transcriptional Regulation of Human CircRNAs.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved and abundant non-coding RNAs whose functions and regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we identify and characterize an epigenomically distinct group of circRNAs (TAH-circRNAs), which are transcribed to a higher level than their host genes. By integrative analysis of cistromic and transcriptomic data, we find that compared with other circRNAs, TAH-circRNAs are expressed more abundantly and have more transcription factors (TFs) binding sites and lower DNA methylation levels.

Characterization of the complete mitogenomes of the Asian Paradise Flycatcher (Monarchidae) and phylogenetic analysis.

The mitogenome of is 16,951 bp in length and consists of 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and one control region. The nucleotide frequencies of As, Ts, Cs, Gs of the mitogenome is 31.0%, 24.

Seeing the Unseen of the Combination of Two Natural Resins, Frankincense and Myrrh: Changes in Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities.

For the treatment of diseases, especially chronic diseases, traditional natural drugs have more effective therapeutic advantages because of their multi-target and multi-channel characteristics. Among many traditional natural medicines, resins frankincense and myrrh have been proven to be effective in the treatment of inflammation and cancer. In the West, frankincense and myrrh have been used as incense in religious and cultural ceremonies since ancient times; in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, they are used mainly for the treatment of chronic diseases.

Genetic screening and functional analysis of CASP9 mutations in a Chinese cohort with neural tube defects.

Aim: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are birth defects of the nervous system and are the second most frequent cause of birth defects worldwide. The etiology of NTDs is complicated and involves both genetic and environmental factors. CASP9 is an initiator caspase in the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, which in Casp9 mice has been shown to result in NTDs because of decreased apoptosis.

[Bidirectional regulation of Pam3CSK4?induced inflammatory response by ATP?binding cassette transporter A1 knockdown in mouse mononuclear macrophages in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect of ATP?binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) knockdown on inflammatory response induced by Pam3CSK4 in mouse mononuclear macrophage RAW264.7 cell line.

Methods: A mouse mononuclear macrophage RAW264.

MBD2 as a novel marker associated with poor survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic resection.

Methyl-CpG binding domain 2 (MBD2) leads to the silencing of methylated genes in cancer cells and was implicated in the activation of prometastatic genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study aimed to investigate the expression status of MBD2 in HCC and the correlation with surgical outcomes. The correlation between clinical prognostic factors and MBD2 were also evaluated.

Hypermethylation of the GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4) promoter in Chinese pediatric acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second-most common form of leukemia in children. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns are a characteristic feature of AML. GATA4 has been suggested to be a tumor suppressor gene regulated by promoter hypermethylation in various types of human cancers although the expression and promoter methylation of GATA4 in pediatric AML is still unclear.

Molecular Mechanism of the Cell Death Induced by the Histone Deacetylase Pan Inhibitor LBH589 (Panobinostat) in Wilms Tumor Cells.

Background: Wilms tumor (WT) is an embryonic kidney cancer, for which histone acetylation might be a therapeutic target. LBH589, a novel targeted agent, suppresses histone deacetylases in many tumors. This study investigated the antitumor activity of LBH589 in SK-NEP-1 and G401 cells.

Analyzing the gene expression profile of anaplastic histology Wilms' tumor with real-time polymerase chain reaction arrays.

Background: Wilms' tumor (WT) is one of the most common malignant neoplasms of the urinary tract in children. Anaplastic histology (unfavorable histology) accounts for about 10% of whole WTs, and it is the single most important histologic predictor of treatment response and survival in patients with WT; however, until now the molecular basis of this phenotype is not very clearly.

Methods: A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array was designed and tested.

Early B-cell factor 3 (EBF3) is a novel tumor suppressor gene with promoter hypermethylation in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) comprises up to 20% of all childhood leukemia. Recent research shows that aberrant DNA methylation patterning may play a role in leukemogenesis. The epigenetic silencing of the EBF3 locus is very frequent in glioblastoma.

Molecular targeting of the oncoprotein PLK1 in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia: RO3280, a novel PLK1 inhibitor, induces apoptosis in leukemia cells.

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is highly expressed in many cancers and therefore a biomarker of transformation and potential target for the development of cancer-specific small molecule drugs. RO3280 was recently identified as a novel PLK1 inhibitor; however its therapeutic effects in leukemia treatment are still unknown. We found that the PLK1 protein was highly expressed in leukemia cell lines as well as 73.

Zinc finger protein 382 is downregulated by promoter hypermethylation in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second-most common form of leukemia in children. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns are characteristic of AML. Zinc finger protein 382 (ZNF382) has been suggested to be a tumor suppressor gene possibly regulated by promoter hypermethylation in various types of human cancer.

Metallothionein III (MT3) is a putative tumor suppressor gene that is frequently inactivated in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia by promoter hypermethylation.

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second most common form of leukemia in children. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns are a characteristic feature in various tumors, including AML. Metallothionein III (MT3) is a tumor suppresser reported to show promoter hypermethylated in various cancers.

Differential mRNA expression levels of human histone-modifying enzymes in normal karyotype B cell pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Histone modification enzymes regulate gene expression by altering the accessibility of promoters to transcription factors. We sought to determine whether the genes encoding histone modification enzymes are dysregulated in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A real-time PCR array was designed, tested and used to profile the expression of 85 genes encoding histone modification enzymes in bone marrow mononuclear cells from 30 pediatric ALL patients and 20 normal controls.

Role of EGFR SNPs in survival of advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients treated with Gefitinib.

Aim: As a novel molecularly targeting agent for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Gefitinib can block its tyrosine kinase activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Genetic variations in EGFR may affect its protein function or expression and lead to diverse outcomes in NSCLC patients after Gefitinib therapy. Therefore, this prospective study examined whether EGFR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with different survival time in advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients treated with Gefitinib.

Survivin selective inhibitor YM155 induce apoptosis in SK-NEP-1 Wilms tumor cells.

Background: Survivin, a member of the family of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins, functions as a key regulator of mitosis and programmed cell death. YM155, a novel molecular targeted agent, suppresses survivin, which is overexpressed in many tumor types. The aim of this study was to determine the antitumor activity of YM155 in SK-NEP-1 cells.

N-WASP is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and associated with poor prognosis.

Background: Neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP) mediates migration and invasion in cancer cells, but its expression and clinicopathologic and prognostic importance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. The present study was designed to address these issues.

Methods: N-WASP expression was first analyzed by Western blotting in 19 paired HCC and paratumoral liver (PTL) tissues.

AIB1 as an independent prognostic marker in hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic resection.

Background: Amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1) has been shown to promote growth and invasion in several types of human cancers and to have a prognostic role in some of cancers. However, its prognostic significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. This study aimed to address the issue.