Loss of RTN3 phenocopies chronic kidney disease and results in activation of the IGF2-JAK2 pathway in proximal tubular epithelial cells

Fan Liang-Liang,Du Ran,Liu Ji-Shi,Jin Jie-Yuan,Wang Chen-Yu,Dong Yi,He Wan-Xia,Yan Ri-Qiang,Xiang Rong 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

Reticulon 3 (RTN3) is an endoplasmic reticulum protein that has previously been shown to play roles in neurodegenerative diseases, but little is known about its function in the kidneys. The aim of the present study was to clarify the roles of RTN3 in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney fibrosis. In this study, RTN3 levels were measured in kidney tissues from healthy controls and CKD or kidney fibrosis patients. An RTN3-null mouse model was generated to explore the pathophysiological roles of RTN3 in the kidneys. The underlying mechanisms were studied in primary proximal tubular epithelial cells and HEK293 cells in vitro. The results showed that (1) a reduction in RTN3 in mice induces CKD and kidney fibrosis; (2) decreased RTN3 expression is found in patients with CKD; (3) RTN3 plays critical roles in regulating collagen biosynthesis and mitochondrial function; and (4) mechanistically, RTN3 regulates these phenotypes by interacting with GC-Rich Promoter Binding Protein 1 (GPBP1), which activates the IGF2-JAK2-STAT3 pathway. Our study indicates that RTN3 might play crucial roles in CKD and kidney fibrosis and that a reduction in RTN3 in the kidneys might be a risk factor for CKD and kidney fibrosis.

Structural Characterization and Optical Properties of Sol-gel-derived Polycrystalline Pb(Zr0.35Ti0.65)O3 Thin Films

Fan Zhang,Rong-Jun Zhang,Zi YiWang,Yu-Xiang Zheng,Song-You Wang,Hai-Bin Zhao,Liang-Yao Chen,Xiao Bin Liu,An Quan Jiang 한국물리학회 2013 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.63 No.1

Polycrystalline Pb(Zr0.35Ti0.65)O3 thin films prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate by using solgel technique were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical properties of the films were investigated by using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) with a four-phase optical model, air/roughness layer/PZT layer/Pt layer in the spectral range of 300 - 800 nm. The optical band gap of the films calculated following the Tauc’s Law was smaller than that of an amorphous PZT thin film with some microcrystals existing on the surface. The result indicates that the quantum-size effect leads to an increase in band gap when the crystalline dimensions become very small.

Effect of the reaction temperature on nanocrystallites MgAl2O4 spinel ceramic precursor

Rong-tao Wang,Ying Peng,Xiao-wei Fan,Jian-xin Li,Xiao-ping Liang 한양대학교 세라믹연구소 2009 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.10 No.6

Mg-Al hydrotalcite (Mg6Al2(OH)16CO3·4H2O), the precursor of MgAl2O4 spinel, has been synthesized via a coprecipitation method, using AlCl3·6H2O and MgCl2·6H2O as the raw materials, and NaOH and Na2CO3 as the precipitators. The effect of the reaction temperature, from 50℃ to 90℃, on the Mg-Al hydrotalcite nanocrystallites was analyzed. The nanocrystallites were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was confirmed that Mg-Al hydrotalcite nanocrystallites are pure and regularly hexagonal, having a typical hydrotalcite structure. The Mg-Al hydrotalcite crystals grow from about 30 nm to 100 nm with an increase in the reaction temperature from 50℃ to 90 ℃, and the crystal form also tends to perfect and regularly hexagonal. Mg-Al hydrotalcite (Mg6Al2(OH)16CO3·4H2O), the precursor of MgAl2O4 spinel, has been synthesized via a coprecipitation method, using AlCl3·6H2O and MgCl2·6H2O as the raw materials, and NaOH and Na2CO3 as the precipitators. The effect of the reaction temperature, from 50℃ to 90℃, on the Mg-Al hydrotalcite nanocrystallites was analyzed. The nanocrystallites were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was confirmed that Mg-Al hydrotalcite nanocrystallites are pure and regularly hexagonal, having a typical hydrotalcite structure. The Mg-Al hydrotalcite crystals grow from about 30 nm to 100 nm with an increase in the reaction temperature from 50℃ to 90 ℃, and the crystal form also tends to perfect and regularly hexagonal.

Association of Six Susceptibility Loci with Prostate Cancer in Northern Chinese Men

Zhang, Yu-Rong,Xu, Yong,Yang, Kuo,Liu, Ming,Wei, Dong,Zhang, Yao-Guang,Shi, Xiao-Hong,Wang, Jian-Ye,Yang, Fan,Wang, Xin,Liang, Si-Ying,Zhao, Cheng-Xiao,Wang, Fei,Chen, Xin,Sun, Liang,Zhu, Xiao-Quan,Zh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.12

Background/Aim: Six prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility loci were identified in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in populations of European decent. However, the associations of these 6 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with PCa has remained tobe clarified in men in Northern China. This study aimed to explore the loci associated with PCa risk in a Northern Chinese population. Methods: Blood samples and clinical information of 289 PCa patients and 288 controls from Beijing and Tianjin were collected. All risk SNPs were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-high resolution melting curve technology and gene sequencing. Associations between PCa and clinical covariates (age at diagnosis, prostate-specific antigen [PSA], Gleason score, tumor stage, and level of aggressiveness) and frequencies of alleles and genotypes of these SNPs were analyzed using genetic statistics. Results: Among the candidate SNPs, 11p15 (rs7127900, A) was associated with PCa risk (P = 0.02, odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-2.46). Genotypes showed differences between cases and controls on 11p15 (rs7127900, A), 11q13 (rs7931342, T), and HNF1B (rs4430796, A) (P = 0.03, P = 0.01, and P = 0.04, respectively). The genotype TG on 11q13 (rs7931342, T) was positively associated with an increased Gleason score (P = 0.04, OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.02-4.55). Patients carrying TG on 17q24 (rs1859962, G) were negatively associated with an increased body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.03, OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.21-0.92) while those with AG on HNF1B (rs4430796, A) were more likely to have PSA increase (P = 0.002). Conclusion: Our study suggests that 11p15 (rs7127900, A) could be a susceptibility locus associated with PCa in Northern Chinese. Genotype TG on 11q13 (rs7931342, T) could be related to an increased Gleason score, AG on HNF1B (rs4430796, A) could be associated with PSA increase, and TG on 17q24 (rs1859962, G) could be negatively associated with an increased BMI in Chinese men with PCa.

A novel method for the synthesis of nano-sized MgAl2O4 spinel ceramic powde

Xiao-ping Liang,Rong-tao Wang,Ying Peng,Xiao-wei Fan,Jian-xin Li 한양대학교 세라믹연구소 2010 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.11 No.2

This study describes the preparation and characterization of MgAl2O4 spinel ceramic powders by a polyacrylamide gel method with Al(NO3)3·9H2O and Mg(NO3)3·6H2O as the raw materials, acrylamide as the monomer, N,N-mehtylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linking agent, and deionized water as the solvent. The nanopowders were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results showed that the nanopowders having a typical spinel structure are ultrapure and nano-sized. Due to the hindering effect of the polyacrylamide network, the average grain size of the MgAl2O4spinel is approximately 20 nm. Moreover, it is confirmed that the optimal sintering temperature for synthesizing the MgAl2O4spinel ceramic nanopowders is 900 oC, which is about 600-1000 oC lower than that of the traditional solid-state method.

Removal of Chromium (Ⅵ) by Escherichia coli Cells Expressing Cytoplasmic or Surface-Displayed ChrB: a Comparative Study

( Xiaofeng Zhou ),( Jianghui Li ),( Weilong Wang ),( Fan Yang ),( Bingqian Fan ),( Chenlu Zhang ),( Xiaojun Ren ),( Feng Liang ),( Rong Cheng ),( Fengying Jiang ),( Huaibin Zhou ),( Juanjuan Yang ),( 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2020 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.30 No.7

Various genetically engineered microorganisms have been developed for the removal of heavy metal contaminants. Metal biosorption by whole-cell biosorbents can be enhanced by overproduction of metal-binding proteins/peptides in the cytoplasm or on the cell surface. However, few studies have compared the biosorption capacity of whole cells expressing intracellular or surface-displayed metal-adsorbing proteins. In this study, several constructs were prepared for expressing intracellular and surface-displayed Ochrobactrum tritici 5bvl1 ChrB in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells. E. coli cells expressing surface-displayed ChrB removed more Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions than cells with cytoplasmic ChrB under the same conditions. However, intracellular ChrB was less susceptible to variation in extracellular conditions (pH and ionic strength), and more effectively removed Cr(VI) from industrial wastewater than the surface-displayed ChrB at low pH (<3). An adsorptiondesorption experiment demonstrated that compared with intracellular accumulation, cell-surface adsorption is reversible, which allows easy desorption of the adsorbed metal ions and regeneration of the bioadsorbent. In addition, an intrinsic ChrB protein fluorescence assay suggested that pH and salinity may influence the Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of ChrB-expressing E. coli cells by modulating the ChrB protein conformation. Although the characteristics of ChrB may not be universal for all metal-binding proteins, our study provides new insights into different engineering strategies for whole-cell biosorbents for removing heavy metals from industrial effluents.

Impact of a Glyphosate-Tolerant Soybean Line on the Rhizobacteria, Revealed by Illumina MiSeq

( Gui-hua Lu ),( Yin-ling Zhu ),( Ling-ru Kong ),( Jing Cheng ),( Cheng-yi Tang ),( Xiao-mei Hua ),( Fan-fan Meng ),( Yan-jun Pang ),( Rong-wu Yang ),( Jin-liang Qi ),( Yong-hua Yang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2017 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.27 No.3

The global commercial cultivation of transgenic crops, including glyphosate-tolerant soybean, has increased widely in recent decades with potential impact on the environment. The bulk of previous studies showed different results on the effects of the release of transgenic plants on the soil microbial community, especially rhizosphere bacteria. In this study, comparative analyses of the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soils and surrounding soils were performed between the glyphosate-tolerant soybean line NZL06-698 (or simply N698), containing a glyphosate-insensitive EPSPS gene, and its control cultivar Mengdou12 (or simply MD12), by a 16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S rDNA) amplicon sequencing-based Illumina MiSeq platform. No statistically significant difference was found in the overall alpha diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial communities, although the species richness and evenness of the bacteria increased in the rhizosphere of N698 compared with that of MD12. Some influence on phylogenetic diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial communities was found between N698 and MD12 by beta diversity analysis based on weighted UniFrac distance. Furthermore, the relative abundances of part rhizosphere bacterial phyla and genera, which included some nitrogen-fixing bacteria, were significantly different between N698 and MD12. Our present results indicate some impact of the glyphosate-tolerant soybean line N698 on the phylogenetic diversity of rhizosphere bacterial communities together with a significant difference in the relative abundances of part rhizosphere bacteria at different classification levels as compared with its control cultivar MD12, when a comparative analysis of surrounding soils between N698 and MD12 was used as a systematic contrast study.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for angina pectoris: An overview of systematic reviews

Qi Wen-Chuan,Fu Hong-Juan,Sun Rui-Rui,Li Xiang,Cai Ding-Jun,Wang Chao,Liang Fan-Rong 한국한의학연구원 2022 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.11 No.3

Background: The number of systematic reviews or meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) on the effectiveness of acupuncture for angina pectoris (AP) is increasing. Due to the inconsistent conclusions and unknown quality of these SRs/MAs, this overview aimed to systematically evaluate and synthesize the existing SRs/MAs, attempting to provide more reliable evidence for the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of AP. Methods: SRs/MAs were searched via eight databases from inception to March 14, 2022. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Risk of Bias in Systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool. The quality of the methodology, reporting, and evidence were assessed by the Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for Acupuncture (PRISMA-A), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system, respectively. Results: Sixteen SRs/MAs were included and fifteen SRs/MAs were considered being of critically low quality according to AMSTAR-2. Only three SRs/MAs were rated at low risk of bias. No study reported all the items listed in the PRISMA-A checklist. No high-quality evidence with GRADE assessment was found. With the low-quality evidence, acupuncture combined with other interventions was superior to monotherapy (medications or Chinese medicine) in the angina symptom and electrocardiogram recovery. No adverse effects owing to acupuncture were reported. Conclusions: Owing to the lack of high-quality evidence provided by the current SRs/MAs, the effective-ness of acupuncture for AP still warrants further proof. Further researches with more critical design and methodology are needed for providing more convincing evidence. Background: The number of systematic reviews or meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) on the effectiveness of acupuncture for angina pectoris (AP) is increasing. Due to the inconsistent conclusions and unknown quality of these SRs/MAs, this overview aimed to systematically evaluate and synthesize the existing SRs/MAs, attempting to provide more reliable evidence for the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of AP. Methods: SRs/MAs were searched via eight databases from inception to March 14, 2022. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Risk of Bias in Systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool. The quality of the methodology, reporting, and evidence were assessed by the Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for Acupuncture (PRISMA-A), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system, respectively. Results: Sixteen SRs/MAs were included and fifteen SRs/MAs were considered being of critically low quality according to AMSTAR-2. Only three SRs/MAs were rated at low risk of bias. No study reported all the items listed in the PRISMA-A checklist. No high-quality evidence with GRADE assessment was found. With the low-quality evidence, acupuncture combined with other interventions was superior to monotherapy (medications or Chinese medicine) in the angina symptom and electrocardiogram recovery. No adverse effects owing to acupuncture were reported. Conclusions: Owing to the lack of high-quality evidence provided by the current SRs/MAs, the effective-ness of acupuncture for AP still warrants further proof. Further researches with more critical design and methodology are needed for providing more convincing evidence.

8q24 rs4242382 Polymorphism is a Risk Factor for Prostate Cancer among Multi-Ethnic Populations: Evidence from Clinical Detection in China and a Meta-analysis

Zhao, Cheng-Xiao,Liu, Ming,Xu, Yong,Yang, Kuo,Wei, Dong,Shi, Xiao-Hong,Yang, Fan,Zhang, Yao-Guang,Wang, Xin,Liang, Si-Ying,Zhao, Fan,Zhang, Yu-Rong,Wang, Na-Na,Chen, Xin,Sun, Liang,Zhu, Xiao-Quan,Yuan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.19

Background: Evidence supporting an association between the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and prostate cancer (PCa) risk has been reported in North American and Europe populations, though data from Asian populations remain limited. We therefore investigated this association by clinical detection in China, and meta-analysis in Asian, Caucasian and African-American populations. Materials and Methods: Blood samples and clinical information were collected from ethnically Chinese men from Northern China with histologically-confirmed PCa (n=335) and from age-matched normal controls (n=347). The 8q24 (rs4242382) gene polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting analysis. We initially analyzed the associations between the risk allele and PCa and clinical covariates. A meta-analysis was then performed using genotyping data from a total of 1,793 PCa cases and 1,864 controls from our study and previously published studies in American and European populations, to determine the association between PCa and risk genotype. Results: The incidence of the risk allele was higher in PCa cases than controls (0.222 vs 0.140, $P=7.3{\times}10^{-5}$), suggesting that the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism was associated with PCa risk in Chinese men. The genotypes in subjects were in accordance with a dominant genetic model (ORadj=2.03, 95%CI: 1.42-2.91, $Padj=1.1{\times}10^{-4}$). Presence of the risk allele rs4242382-A at 8q24 was also associated with clinical covariates including age at diagnosis ${\geq}65$ years, prostate specific antigen >10 ng/ml, Gleason score <8, tumor stage and aggressive PCa, compared with the non-risk genotype ($P=4.6{\times}10^{-5}-3.0{\times}10^{-2}$). Meta-analysis confirmed the association between 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and PCa risk (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.39-1.88, $P=1.0{\times}10^{-5}$) across Asian, Caucasian and African American populations. Conclusions: The replicated data suggest that the 8q24 rs4242382-A variation might be associated with increased PCa susceptibility in Asian, Caucasian and African American populations. These results imply that this polymorphism may be a useful risk biomarker for PCa in multi-ethnic populations.

Metastasis associated genomic aberrations in stage II rectal cancer

Hong Zhao,Zhi-Zhou Shi,Rui Jiang,Dong-Bing Zhao,Hai-Tao Zhou,Jian-Wei Liang,Xin-Yu Bi,Jian-Jun Zhao,Zhi-Yu Li,Jian-Guo Zhou,Zhen Huang,Ye-Fan Zhang,Jian Wang,Xin Xu,Yan Cai,Ming-Rong Wang,Yu Zhang 한국유전학회 2016 Genes & Genomics Vol.38 No.11

Genomic aberrations of rectal carcinoma, especially DNA copy number changes associated with metastasis were largely unclear. We aim to identify the metastasis associated biomarkers in stage II rectal cancer. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary tumor tissues of stage II rectal carcinoma were analyzed by array-based comparative genomic hybridization, and genomic aberrations were identified by Genomic Workbench and SAM software. Copy number changes and mRNA expressions were validated by Real-time PCR in an independent rectal cancer samples. The results showed that the most frequent gains in stage II rectal cancer were at 1q21.2-q23.1, 3p21.31, 11q12.2-q23.3, 12q24.11-q24.31, 12q13.11-q14.1 and losses in 18q11.2-q23, 17q21.33-q22, 13q31.1-q31.3, 21q21.1-q21.3, 8p23.3-p23.1 and 4q22.1-q23. Twenty-two amplifications and five homozygous deletions were also identified. We further found that S100A1 (1q21.3-q23.1), MCM7 (7q22.1) and JUND (19p13.11) were amplified and overexpressed in stage II rectal cancer. Interestingly, the genomic aberrations affected 14 signaling pathways including VEGF signaling pathway and fatty acid metabolism. Most importantly, loss of 13q31.1-q34 and gain of 1q44 were associated with distant metastasis. Our results indicated that these metastasis associated genomic changes may be useful to reveal the pathogenesis of rectal cancer metastasis and identify candidate biomarkers.