Parkinson’s Disease with Fatigue: Clinical Characteristics and Potential Mechanisms Relevant to α-Synuclein Oligomer

Li-Jun Zuo,Shu-Yang Yu,Fang Wang,Yanghui Xia,Ying-Shan Piao,Yang Du,Teng-Hong Lian,Rui-Dan Wang,Qiu-Jin Yu,Ya-Jie Wang,Xiao-Min Wang,Piu Chan,Sheng-Di Chen,Yongjun Wang,Wei Zhang 대한신경과학회 2016 Journal of Clinical Neurology Vol.12 No.2

Background and Purpose The aim of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics and potential mechanisms relevant to pathological proteins in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients who experience fatigue. Methods PD patients (n=102) were evaluated using a fatigue severity scale and scales for motor and nonmotor symptoms. The levels of three pathological proteins—α-synuclein oligomer, β-amyloid (Aβ)1-42, and tau—were measured in 102 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from these PD patients. Linear regression analyses were performed between fatigue score and the CSF levels of the above-listed pathological proteins in PD patients. Results The frequency of fatigue in the PD patients was 62.75%. The fatigue group had worse motor symptoms and anxiety, depression, and autonomic dysfunction. The CSF level of α-synuclein oligomer was higher and that of Aβ1-42 was lower in the fatigue group than in the non-fatigue group. In multiple linear regression analyses, fatigue severity was significantly and positively correlated with the α-synuclein oligomer level in the CSF of PD patients, after adjusting for confounders. Conclusions PD patients experience a high frequency of fatigue. PD patients with fatigue have worse motor and part nonmotor symptoms. Fatigue in PD patients is associated with an increased α-synuclein oligomer level in the CSF

Kinetics of Sn(Oct)2-Catalyzed Ring Opening Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone

Dan Wu,Yin Lv,Rui Guo,Jiahui Li,Aerman Habadati,Bowen Lu,Heyun Wang,Zhong Wei 한국고분자학회 2017 Macromolecular Research Vol.25 No.11

To evaluate the effects of different alcohols (primary, secondary, and two different tertiary alcohols) as initiators on the structure of polycaprolactone (PCL) in ring-opening polymerization (ROP), four experiments were conducted in toluene with tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate (Sn(Oct)2) as the catalyst. The kinetics of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) ROP at different temperatures and monomer concentrations were studied with n-butanol as the initiator and Sn(Oct)2 as the catalyst. The kinetic plot of ln(M0/Mt) vs. time (t) seems a linear, which indicates that the propagation rate is in the first order with respect to monomer concentration. When the reaction temperature increased, the reaction rate and the final relative maximum monomer conversions also increased. The molecular weight of PCL initially increased and then decreased as monomer conversion increased. This behavior can be attributed to the high viscosity of the system, which affected monomer diffusion and polymer chain propagation. In addition, prolonging reaction time caused inter-/intramolecular transesterification. However, when monomer concentration decreased, the reaction rate decreased. The actual activation energy of Sn(Oct)2-catalyzed ROP of ε-CL in toluene was -75 kJ/mol.

High Yield Rhizopus chinenisis Prolipase Production in Pichia pastoris: Impact of Methanol Concentration

Dan Wu,Xiao Wei Yu,Tong Chun Wang,Rui Wang,Yan Xu 한국생물공학회 2011 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.16 No.2

Rhizopus lipases have been successfully expressed in Pichia pastors and different fermentation strategies have been investigated. However, there is no sufficient study on the effects of methanol concentration on the production of Rhizopus lipases in P. pastors. In this study, the lipase from Rhizopus chinensis CCTCC M20102 was expressed under different fed-batch fermentation conditions at methanol concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 3.5 g/L. The lipase activity, stability, and productivities were analyzed. The optimum methanol concentration was 1 g/L, with the highest lipase activity of 2,130 U/mL, without degradation. Additional information was obtained from the analysis of methanol consumption and production rates. The results also suggested that the cell concentration at the end of the glycerol fed-batch phase was very important for cell viability and protease activity.

Peptidomics analysis of enzymatic hydrolysis beef

Dan Qin,Liping Wang,Rui Fang,Ziteng Yu,Li Mo,Min Liu 한국식품과학회 2022 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.31 No.10

In this study, we investigated the changes in the composition of peptides during the digestion of tenderized beef treated with commercial proteinase K, flavourzyme, and bromelain. The degree of hydrolysis (DH) values before and after simulating gastric digestion were highest with proteinase K treatment. In the proteinase K-treated sample, the highest number of missing peptides was identified after gastrointestinal digestion. Additionally, the maximum number of new peptides was identified during gastric digestion. The flavourzyme is the only exopeptidase among the three enzymes, and the sample treated with it could produce more unique peptides after gastrointestinal digestion. Enzymatic tenderization altered the peptide composition and bioactivity of beef proteins during gastrointestinal digestion. The number of peptides, as well as unique peptides in the protease-treated sample, were more than those in control through gastric digestion. In contrast, the opposite was observed post gastrointestinal digestion.

Phase separation phenomena and thermodynamics of octylphenol polyoxyethylene ether in micellar solutions: Effect of high concentration of inorganic salts and linear correlation

Dan Ni Li,Jing Huang,Zhao Hua Ren,Rui Sheng,Zheng Bo Qian,Bei Bei Li,Xiao Feng Quan,Ye Xi Zhang,Jun Ru Wang,Huan Tian 한국공업화학회 2021 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.99 No.-

The phase separationphenomena or cloud points (CP) behaviorof nonionic octylphenol polyoxyethylene etherwith oxyethylene glycol ether unit of 15 (OP-15) were investigated in aqueous micellar solutions containinghigh concentrations of inorganic salts including NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, CaCl2, BaCl2, AlCl3, FeCl3, Na2SO4and Na2SiO3. The change in CP induced by salts and its mechanism are discussed theoretically. In aqueous solutionscontaining high concentration of salt, for thefirst time the linear relationship between CP and saltconcentrationiswellestablishedtocharacterizethedepressionofCP.Basedonpseudophaseseparationmodel,thermodynamic parameters are estimated and adopted to further describe the phase separation process andthe interactions between OP-15 molecules or the OP-15/water interactions. Thermodynamic parametersincluding standard Gibbs energy change (DG0CP), enthalpy change (DH0CP) and entropy change (DS0CP)indicate that the additions of different salts result in the change in entropy-driven nonspontaneousprocess of phase separation. These data, which are from the compensation temperatures and the changeof molar heat capacity, also prove that different ions induce the change in the interactions betweensurfactant molecules or the surfactant–water interaction and thus affect the depression of CP. Thesefindings help with understanding the effect of inorganic salts, especially the high concentration of salt, onCP of nonionic surfactant and then broadening the application of nonionic surfactant based on CP such asthe extraction of biomaterials in biological samples derived from animals or plants, etc.

Bioaugmentation with GFP-Tagged Pseudomonas migulae AN-1 in Aniline-Contaminated Aquifer Microcosms: Cellular Responses, Survival and Effect on Indigenous Bacterial Community

( Yongsheng Zhao ),( Dan Qu ),( Rui Zhou ),( Yunge Ma ),( Hao Wang ),( Hejun Ren ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2016 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.26 No.5

The recently isolated aniline-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas migulae AN-1 was tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) to investigate its bioaugmentation potential against anilinecontaminated groundwater through microcosm experiments. The survival and cellular response of GFP-tagged AN-1 introduced in a lab-scale aquifer corresponded directly with aniline consumption. During the process, the GFP-tagged AN-1 biomass increased from 7.52 × 105 cells/ml to 128 × 105 cells/ml and the degradation rate of aniline was 6.04 mg/l/h. GFP-tagged AN-1 was moderately hydrophobic (41.74%-47.69%) when treated with 20- 100 mg/l aniline and exhibited relatively strong hydrophobicity (55.25%-65.78%) when the concentration of aniline was ≥100 mg/l. The membrane permeability of AN-1 increased followed by a rise in aniline below 100 mg/l and was invariable with aniline above 100 mg/l. Pyrosequencing analysis showed that the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (accounted for 99.22% in the non-bioaugmentation samples) changed to 89.23% after bioaugmentation with GFP-tagged AN-1. Actinobacteria increased from 0.29% to 2.01%, whereas the abundance of Firmicutes barely changed. These combined findings demonstrate the feasibility of removing aniline in aquifers by introducing the strain AN-1 and provide valuable information on the changes in the diversity of dominant populations during bioaugmentation.

Serum lipocalin-2 is a potential biomarker for the clinical diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

( Gang Xu ),( Yu-min Wang ),( Miao-miao Ying ),( Sui-dan Chen ),( Zong-rui Li ),( Hong-lei Ma ),( Ming-hua Zheng ),( Jian Wu ),( Chunming Ding ) 대한간학회 2021 Clinical and Molecular Hepatology(대한간학회지) Vol.27 No.2

Background/Aims: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) characterized by hepatic steatosis, inflammation, hepatocellular injury, and fibrosis. We aimed to investigate the usefulness of a key biomarker, lipocalin-2 (LCN2), for the detection of NASH progression. Methods: A mouse NASH model was established using a high-fat diet and a high-sugar drinking water. Gene expression profile of the NASH model was analyzed using RNA sequencing. Moreover, 360 NAFLD patients (steatosis, 83; NASH, 277), 40 healthy individuals, and 87 patients with alcoholic fatty liver disease were recruited. Results: Inflammatory infiltration, focal necrosis in the leaflets, steatosis, and fibrosis were documented in the mouse liver. In total, 504 genes were differentially expressed in the livers of NASH mice, and showed significant functional enrichment in the inflammation-related category. Upregulated liver LCN2 was found to be significantly interactive with various interleukins and toll-like receptors. Serum LCN2 levels were significantly increased in NAFLD patients. Serum LCN2 levels were correlated with steatosis, intralobular inflammation, semiquantitative fibrosis score, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score. The area under the curve of serum LCN2 was 0.987 with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 93.5% for NASH diagnosis, and 0.977 with almost the same specificity and sensitivity for steatosis. Conclusions: LCN2 might be involved in the transition from NAFL to NASH by mediating inflammation. Serum LCN2 levels might be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of NASH. (Clin Mol Hepatol 2021;27:329-345)

Rewritable Spiropyran/Polyacrylonitrile Hybrid Nanofiber Membrane Prepared by Electrospinning

Bingwei Bao,Ji Fan,Rui Xu,Wei Wang,Dan Yu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2020 NANO Vol.15 No.02

Photochromic materials aroused enormous interest due to their potential application for rewritable paper, smart labeling and sensor devices. In this paper, we proposed to dissolve spiropyran (SP, photochromic material) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN, polymer matrix) in dimethyl fumarate (DMF) to prepare photochromic nanofibers by electrospinning. The target SP compounds were featured by FTIR, ultraviolet (UV) and 1HNMR, and the nanofibers were characterized by FTIR, UV-vis spectra, scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and contact angle (CA). The test results demonstrated that photochromic SP was synthesized successfully, and the nanofiber membrane possesses extraordinary color-converting properties including obvious color change from white to purple, reversible fast switching between two colors when exposed to UV light and achieve maximum color change in 1 min, and switchable hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties as well as excellent photo-fatigue resistance over 20 cycles. In addition, it has good thermal stability allowing it to be used under harsh conditions. In view of the above characteristics, we believe that the as-prepared nanofiber film will be a promising reusable writing substrate.

Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers, Especially Fibrinogen to Albumin Ratio, Predict Prognosis in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

Lin Fang,Fei-Hu Yan,Chao Liu,Jing Chen,Dan Wang,Chun-Hui Zhang,Chang-Jie Lou,Jie Lian,Yang Yao,Bo-Jun Wang,Rui-Yang Li,Shu-Ling Han,Yi-Bing Bai,Jia-Ni Yang,Zhi-Wei Li,Yan-Qiao Zhang 대한암학회 2021 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.53 No.1

Purpose Systemic inflammatory response is a critical factor that promotes the initiation and metastasis of malignancies including pancreatic cancer (PC). This study was designed to determine and compare the prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) in resectable PC and locally advanced or metastatic PC. Materials and Methods Three hundred fifty-three patients with resectable PC and 807 patients with locally advan-ced or metastatic PC were recruited in this study. These patients were classified into a training set (n=758) and a validation set (n=402). Kaplan-Meier survival plots and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze prognosis. Results Overall survival (OS) was significantly better for patients with resectable PC with low preoperative PLR (p=0.048) and MLR (p=0.027). Low FAR, MLR, NLR (p < 0.001), and PLR (p=0.003) were significantly associated with decreased risk of death for locally advanced or metastatic PC patients. FAR (hazard ratio [HR], 1.522; 95% confidential interval [CI], 1.261 to 1.837; p < 0.001) and MLR (HR, 1.248; 95% CI, 1.017 to 1.532; p=0.034) were independent prognostic factors for locally advanced or metastatic PC. Conclusion The prognostic roles of FAR, MLR, NLR, and PLR in resectable PC and locally advanced or metastatic PC were different. FAR showed the most prognostic power in locally advanced or metastatic PC. Low FAR was positively correlated with OS in locally advanced or metastatic PC, which could be used to predict the prognosis.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of the GnRHR Gene Associated with Reproductive Traits of Japanese Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

He, Feng,Wen, Hai-Shen,Li, Ji-Fang,Yu, Da-Hui,Ma, Rui-Qin,Shi, Dan,Mu, Wei-Jie,Zhang, Yuan-Qing,Hu, Jian,Liu, Miao,Han, Wei-Guo,Zhang, Jia-Nan,Wang, Qing-Qing,Yuan, Yu-Ren,Liu, Qun Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2011 Animal Bioscience Vol.24 No.4

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) gene is expressed at the anterior pituitary gland and plays a key role in gonad development. This study aimed to investigate molecular genetic characteristics of the GnRHR gene and elucidate the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of GnRHR gene on sex steroid level in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). We used polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and sequencing of the GnRHR gene in 75 individuals. We identified three SNPs in the GnRHR gene: P1 locus (C759A and C830T) in the coding region of exon2 which were both linked together and P2 locus (G984T) in the coding region of exon3, which added a new transcript factor (ADR1) and a new methylation site (CG). Only C830T of P1 leads to amino acid changes Thr266Ile. Statistical analysis showed that P1 was significantly associated with $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$) level (p<0.01) and gonadosomatic index (GSI) (p<0.05). Individuals with genotype BB of P1 had significantly higher serum $E_2$ levels (p<0.01) and GSI (p<0.05) than those of genotype AA or AB. Another SNP, P2, synonymous mutation, was significantly associated with GSI (p<0.05). Individuals with genotype AB of P2 had significantly higher GSI (p<0.05) than that of genotype AA. In addition, there was a significant association between one diplotype based on three SNPs and reproductive traits. The genetic effects for both serum $E_2$ level and GSI of diplotype D4 were super diplotypes (p<0.05). These results suggest that the SNPs in Japanese Flounder GnRHR are associated with $E_2$ level and GSI.