Gonadal white adipose tissue is important for gametogenesis in mice through maintenance of local metabolic and immune niches.

Gonadal white adipose tissue (gWAT) can regulate gametogenesis via modulation of neuroendocrine signaling. However, the effect of gWAT on the local microenvironment of the gonad was largely unknown. Herein, we ruled out that gWAT had a neuroendocrine effect on gonad function through a unilateral lipectomy strategy, in which cutting off epididymal white adipose tissue could reduce seminiferous tubule thickness and decrease sperm counts only in the adjacent testis and epididymis of the affected gonad.

Pravastatin alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced placental TLR4 over-activation and promotes uterine arteriole remodeling without impairing rat fetal development.

Preeclampsia is associated with over-activation of the innate immune system in the placenta, in which toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays an essential part. With their potent anti-inflammatory effects, statins have been suggested as potential prevention or treatment of preeclampsia, although evidence remains inadequate. Herewith, we investigated whether pravastatin could ameliorate preeclampsia-like phenotypes in a previously established lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat preeclampsia model, through targeting the TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

[ICSI with testicular or epididymal sperm for patients with obstructive azoospermia: A systematic review].

Objective: To assess the effects of testicular sperm and epididymal sperm on the outcomes of ICSI for patients with obstructive azoospermia.

Methods: We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang Database up to December 2015 for published literature relevant to ICSI with testicular or epididymal sperm for obstructive azoospermia patients. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two reviewers independently conducted literature screening, data extraction and quality assessment of the included trials, followed by meta-analysis with the RevMan 5.

Tripterygium glycosides impairs the proliferation of granulosa cells and decreases the reproductive outcomes in female rats.

This study was carried out to investigate the impact of tripterygium glycosides (TGs) on ovarian function of female rats in vitro and in vivo. In vitro studies showed that TG induced cells decrease at G1 phase and inhibited cell proliferation in rat granulosa cells. In vivo, female rats were intragastrically administered with TG at the dose of 60 mg/kg/day for consecutive 50 days.

[AntiEGFRnano inhibites proliferation and migration of estrogen-dependent Ishikawa cells of human endometrial cancer cell line].

Nanobody is a kind of antibody from camel, which misses light chain. Nanobody has the same antigen binding specificity and affinity as mAb. Moreover, because of its small molecular weight, high stability and easy preparation, nanobody has great value of biomedical applications.

FSH acts on the proliferation of type A spermatogonia via Nur77 that increases GDNF expression in the Sertoli cells.

The molecular mechanism responsible for the regulation of GDNF in Sertoli cells remains largely unknown. In the present study, FSH induced the expression of Nur77 and GDNF in mouse testis tissue and human fetal Sertoli cells. Moreover, FSH increased the number of A spermatogonia co-cultured with Sertoli cells.

[Detection the coinfection of Hantavirus and Orientia tsutsugamushi in primary cultured mite cells].

Objective: To investigate whether HV and Ot can coexist in their host (Leptotrombidium scutellare).

Methods: Collecting the separate Leptotrombidium scutellare and the ones from mice in epidemic area. The cells of mites at larva, nymph, and adult stages were cultured and made into smear.

[Expression of HCV NS5A gene in HepG2 cell and the effect of the NS5A expression on PI3K in vitro].

Aim: To reveal the influence of HCV-NS5A on PI3K, we probe into the relationship between NS5A and PI3K in vitro.

Methods: Full length NS5A gene of HCV was amplified by PCR, using the plasmid containing HCV full-length open reading frame (ORF) as template, and cloned into the eukaryotic expressing plasmid pcDNA3.0(-) by DNA recombination technique.

Expression of a cytotoxic cationic antibacterial peptide in Escherichia coli using two fusion partners.

It has been reported that it is difficult to express cationic antibacterial peptides in engineered bacteria because such peptides are highly toxic to the host bacteria cells and sensitive to intracellular proteases. Antibacterial peptide CM4 (ABP-CM4) is a small cationic peptide with broad-spectrum activities against bacteria, fungi and tumor cells, which may possibly be used as an antimicrobial agent. Here we tried to express ABP-CM4 in Escherichia coli cells using either the GST fusion system or the intein-mediated fusion expression system.

[Expression and preliminary study of HCV F protein gene].

Aim: To express HCV F protein gene fragment in E.coli and detect if there is its antibody in HCV patients.

Methods: RNA of the virus identified as genetype 1b was choosed as template, the F protein gene was amplified by RT-PCR.

[Study on the coinfection of Hantavirus and Orientia tsutsugamushi in tissue cell culture].

Objective: To investigate the possibility of Hantavirus (HV) and Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot) coinfection in their hosts.

Methods: HV and Ot were used to infect Vero E6 cells cultured in vitro singly, simultaneously or successively. Genes of HV and Ot were identified in different generation cells with RT-PCR.

[Study on relationship between HBV post-transcriptional regulatory element and response to IFN-alpha by using a reporter gene luciferase].

Aim: To identify the function of HBV post-transcriptional regulatory element(HPRE) in response to IFN-alpha by using the reporter gene luciferase (LUC).

Methods: The gene encoding LUC was obtained by PCR from the vector pGEM-luc and then cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.0.

[Study on hepatitis C virus genotyping in Yixing area, Jiangsu province].

Objective: To investigate the distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in Yixing, Jiangsu province.

Methods: Genotypes identification on sera samples were obtained from 158 donors who had already been anti-HCV positive through PCR method with type specific primer designed according to the sequence of 5'non-coding region (5'NCR). 5'NCR was also sequenced and compared with published date.

Production and characterization of a bacterial single-chain antibody fragment specific to B-cell-activating factor of the TNF family.

An active form of a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) from the murine monoclonal antibody ABL-1, which is specific for B-cell-activating factor of the TNF family, was produced in Escherichia coli. The complementary DNAs encoding the variable regions of the heavy chain (VH) and light chain (VL) were connected by a (Gly4Ser)3 linker, using an assembly polymerase chain reaction. The construct VH-linker-VL was placed under the control of highly efficient T7 promoter system.

Expression, refolding, and characterization of human soluble BAFF synthesized in Escherichia coli.

The B lymphocyte stimulator (BAFF) is a novel member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand family which is important in B lymphocyte maturation and survival. Here, a recombinant form of the extracellular domain of the BAFF (hsBAFF) was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) under the control of a T7 promoter. The resulting insoluble bodies were separated from cellular debris by centrifugation and solubilized with 8 M urea.