A small hairpin RNA targeting myeloid cell leukemia-1 enhances apoptosis in host macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Fei-yu Wang,Yu-qing Zhang,Xin-min Wang,Chan Wang,Xiao-fang Wang,Jiang-dong Wu,Fang Wu,Wan-jiang Zhang,Le Zhang 한국미생물학회 2016 The journal of microbiology Vol.54 No.4

Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) plays an important role in various cell survival pathways. Some studies indicated that the expression of Mcl-1 was upregulated in host cells during infection with the virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain, H37Rv. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of inhibiting Mcl-1 expression both in vivo and in vitro on apoptosis of host macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis using a small hairpin (sh)RNA. Mcl-1 expression was detected by the real time-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy were used to measure host macrophage apoptosis. We found elevated Mcl-1 levels in host macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The expression of Mcl-1 was downregulated efficiently in H37Rv-infected host macrophages using shRNA. Knockdown of Mcl-1 enhanced the extent of apoptosis in H37Rv-infected host macrophages significantly. The increased apoptosis correlated with a decrease in M. tuberculosis colony forming units recovered from H37Rv-infected cells that were treated with Mcl-1-shRNA. Reducing Mcl-1 accumulation by shRNA also reduced accumulation of the anti-apoptotic gene, Bcl-2, and increased expression of the pro-apoptotic gene, Bax, in H37Rv-infected host macrophages. Our results showed that specific knockdown of Mcl-1 expression increased apoptosis of host macrophages significantly and decreased the intracellular survival of a virulent strain of M. tuberculosis. These data indicate that interference with Mcl-1 expression may provide a new avenue for tuberculosis therapy.

Protectin DX increases alveolar fluid clearance in rats with lipopolysaccharideinduced acute lung injury

Xiao-Jun Zhuo,Yu Hao,Fei Cao,Song-Fan Yan,Hui Li,Qian Wang,Bi-Huan Cheng,Bin-Yu Ying,Bin-Yu Ying,Sheng-Wei Jin 생화학분자생물학회 2018 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.50 No.-

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a life-threatening critical syndrome resulting largely from the accumulation of and the inability to clear pulmonary edema. Protectin DX, an endogenously produced lipid mediator, is believed to exert anti-inflammatory and pro-resolution effects. Protectin DX (5 μg/kg) was injected i.v. 8 h after LPS (14 mg/kg) administration, and alveolar fluid clearance was measured in live rats (n = 8). In primary rat ATII epithelial cells, protectin DX (3.605 × 10−3 mg/l) was added to the culture medium with LPS for 6 h. Protectin DX improved alveolar fluid clearance (9.65 ± 1.60 vs. 15.85 ± 1.49, p < 0.0001) and decreased pulmonary edema and lung injury in LPSinduced lung injury in rats. Protectin DX markedly regulated alveolar fluid clearance by upregulating sodium channel and Na, K-ATPase protein expression levels in vivo and in vitro. Protectin DX also increased the activity of Na, K-ATPase and upregulated P-Akt via inhibiting Nedd4–2 in vivo. In addition, protectin DX enhanced the subcellular distribution of sodium channels and Na, K-ATPase, which were specifically localized to the apical and basal membranes of primary rat ATII cells. Furthermore, BOC-2, Rp-cAMP, and LY294002 blocked the increased alveolar fluid clearance in response to protectin DX. Protectin DX stimulates alveolar fluid clearance through a mechanism partly dependent on alveolar epithelial sodium channel and Na, K-ATPase activation via the ALX/PI3K/Nedd4–2 signaling pathway.

Colorectal Cancer Concealment Predicts a Poor Survival: A Retrospective Study

Li, Xiao-Pan,Xie, Zhen-Yu,Fu, Yi-Fei,Yang, Chen,Hao, Li-Peng,Yang, Li-Ming,Zhang, Mei-Yu,Li, Xiao-Li,Feng, Li-Li,Yan, Bei,Sun, Qiao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.7

Objectives: Understanding the situation of cancer awareness which doctors give to patients might lead to prognostic prediction in cases of of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Subsets of 10,779 CRC patients were used to screen the risk factors from the Cancer Registry in Pudong New Area in cancer awareness, age, TNM stage, and gender. Survival of the patients was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and assessed by Cox regression analysis. The views of cancer awareness in doctors and patients were surveyed by telephone or household. Results: After a median observation time of 1,616 days (ranging from 0 to 4,083 days) of 10,779 available patients, 2,596 of the 4,561 patients with cancer awareness survived, whereas 2,258 of the 5,469 patients without cancer awareness and 406 of the 749 patients without information on cancer awareness died of the disease. All-cause and cancer-specific survival were poorer for the patients without cancer awareness than those with (P < 0.001 for each, log-rank test). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that cancer concealment cases had significantly lower cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.299; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.200-1.407)and all-cause survival (HR = 1.324; 95 % CI: 1.227-1.428). Furthermore, attitudes of cancer awareness between doctors and patients were significantly different (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Cancer concealment, not only late-stage tumor and age, is associated with a poor survival of CRC patients.

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.

Moving Mass Actuated Reentry Vehicle Control Based on Trajectory Linearization

Xiao-Long Su,Jian-Qiao Yu,Ya-Fei Wang,Lin-lin Wang 한국항공우주학회 2013 International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sc Vol.14 No.3

The flight control of re-entry vehicles poses a challenge to conventional gain-scheduled flight controllers due to the widely spread aerodynamic coefficients. In addition, a wide range of uncertainties in disturbances must be accommodated by the control system. This paper presents the design of a roll channel controller for a non-axisymmetric reentry vehicle model using the trajectory linearization control (TLC) method. The dynamic equations of a moving mass system and roll control model are established using the Lagrange method. Nonlinear tracking and decoupling control by trajectory linearization can be viewed as the ideal gain-scheduling controller designed at every point along the flight trajectory. It provides robust stability and performance at all stages of the flight without adjusting controller gains. It is this “plug-and-play” feature that is highly preferred for developing, testing and routine operating of the re-entry vehicles. Although the controller is designed only for nominal aerodynamic coefficients, excellent performance is verified by simulation for wind disturbances and variations from -30% to +30% of the aerodynamic coefficients.

miR-98 suppresses melanoma metastasis through a negative feedback loop with its target gene IL-6

Fei Li,Xin-ji Li,Li Qiao,Fei Shi,Wen Liu,You Li,Yu-ping Dang,Weijie Gu,Xiao-gang Wang,Wei Liu 생화학분자생물학회 2014 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.46 No.-

Dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) expression has a critical role in tumor development and metastasis. However, the mechanism by which miRNAs control melanoma metastasis is unknown. Here, we report reduced miR-98 expression in melanoma tissues with increasing tumor stage as well as metastasis; its expression is also negatively associated with melanoma patient survival. Furthermore, we demonstrate that miR-98 inhibits melanoma cell migration in vitro as well as metastatic tumor size in vivo. We also found that IL-6 is a target gene of miR-98, and IL-6 represses miR-98 levels via the Stat3-NF-κB-lin28B pathway. In an in vivo melanoma model, we demonstrate that miR-98 reduces melanoma metastasis and increases survival in part by reducing IL-6 levels; it also decreases Stat3 and p65 phosphorylation as well as lin28B mRNA levels. These results suggest that miR-98 inhibits melanoma metastasis in part through a novel miR-98-IL-6-negative feedback loop.

Metabolomic analysis of biochemical changes in the tissue and urine of proteoglycan-induced spondylitis in mice after treatment with moxibustion

Xiao Xu,Ya-Nan Shi,Rong-Yun Wang,Cai-Yan Ding,Xiao Zhou,Yu-Fei Zhang,Zhi-Ling Sun,Zhi-Qin Sun,Qiu-Hua Sun 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.1

Background: Moxibustion is widely used in East Asian countries to manage the symptom of rheumatic diseases. The aim of this study was to identify potential metabolic profiles of moxibustion on relieving ankylosing spondylitis (AS) mice through UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS metabolomic study. Methods: Thirty-two female Balb/c mice were randomized into healthy control (HC), AS model, moxibustion at acupuncture points (MA) in AS model, and moxibustion at non-acupuncture points (MNA) AS model groups. Moxibustion was administered daily at GV4, bilateral BL23 and bilateral ST36 acupuncture points for four weeks in the MA group. The overall health status, the thickness of hind paws and the tissue concentrations of IL-1β, PGE2, IL-6 and TNF-α were assessed. The UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS was used to explore the perturbations of endogenous metabolites in tissue and urine of AS model mice intervened by moxibustion. Results: Compared with the AS group, the overall health status was significantly improved after 4-week moxibustion intervention (p < 0.05). The results also showed that MA significantly reduced the levels of paw thickness and decreased the levels of four cytokines in the tissue (p < 0.01). Thirty-seven endogenous metabolites identified by the OPLS-DA were considered to be contributing to therapeutic effects of moxibustion. Moreover, metabolic pathway analysis further revealed that the identified metabolites were mainly involved in TCA cycle, Lipid metabolism, Amino Acid metabolism, Intestinal flora metabolism and Purine metabolism. Conclusions: UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS based metabolomics approach, as a novel and powerful tool, can help us to gain the insights into potential mechanisms of action of moxibustion for AS.

Identification and expression analysis of four heat shock protein genes associated with thermal stress in rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae

Fei Hu,Kan Ye,Xiao-Fang Tu,Yu-Jie Lu,Kiran Thakur,Zhao-Jun Wei 한국응용곤충학회 2018 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.21 No.3

In order to explore the function of heat shock proteins during thermal stress in rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, four heat shock protein genes were cloned and characterized. These heat shock protein genes (hsps) were named as Sohsp70–1, Sohsp70–2, Sohsc70, and Sohsp90, respectively. These hsps showed high sequence conservation with the maximum identity with hsps of Tribolium castaneum and other insects. All the four genes showed the highest mRNA expression in pupal stage and the lowest levels in larval stage. The induced expression of the two Sohsp70s (Sohsp70–1 and Sohsp70–2) were reached to the highest levels (15.59-fold and 12.66-fold) after 2 h of incubation at 37 °C, respectively. Expression of Sohsp90 not only was significantly elevated by heat stress but also by cold stress. Whereas, expression level of Sohsc70 was not induced either by heat or cold stress. Furthermore, for rapid heat hardening, the expression levels of Sohsp70–1, Sohsp70–2, Sohsc70 and Sohsp90 were observed as 2.57, 2.53, 3.33 and 2.33-fold higher than control, respectively; for rapid cold hardening, the expression levels of Sohsp70–1, Sohsp70–2, Sohsc70 and Sohsp90 were reported as 2.27, 3.02, 3.37 and 2.23-fold higher than control, respectively. Hence, our results revealed that the four Sohsps were associated with temperature adaption under rapid heat or cold hardening.

Use of antibiotics and other treatments in Chinese adults with acute cough: An online survey

Xiao-yang Hu,Ru-yu Xia,Michael Moore,Beth Stuart,Wen Ling-Zi,Bertrand Graz,Lai Lily,Liu Jian-Ping,Yu-tong Fei,Merlin Willcox 한국한의학연구원 2023 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.12 No.1

Background: Acute respiratory tract infections are common worldwide and there has been a rapid in- crease in antibiotic consumption. This study aimed to identify use of various treatments and their as- sociation with the use of antibiotics and patient reported clinical recovery in Chinese adults with acute cough. Methods: An online survey recruiting people who had recently experienced cough was conducted. Their sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, treatments received and their perceived changes in symptoms were collected. Factors influencing avoidance of antibiotics and improvement in symptoms were explored. Results: A total of 22,787 adults with recent acute cough completed the questionnaire, covering all 34 province-level administrative units in China. Most respondents were male (68.0%), young (89.4%, aged 18–45), educated to university/degree or postgraduate level (44.6%), with a median cough severity of 6/10 on a numerical rating scale. Nearly half of the participants (46.4%) reported using antibiotics, among which 93.1% were for presumed upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). Pharmacies (48.8%) were the most common source of antibiotics. Fewer patients took antibiotics after taking CHM (14.9%), compared to those who started with home remedies (18.0%), or allopathic non-antibiotic medication (25.0%). An- tibiotics, allopathic non-antibiotic medications, CHM and home remedies were all perceived beneficial in relieving cough. Conclusions: Chinese adult responders report use of a considerable variety of treatments alone or in combination for acute cough. Patient-reported clinical recovery was similar regardless of treatment. There is likely a high proportion of inappropriate use of antibiotics for treatment of simple acute cough. As the majority of respondents did not use antibiotics as a first-line, and use of CHM was associated with relief of cough symptoms and reduction in the use of antibiotics, this presents an important opportunity for prudent antibiotic stewardship in China.

Prevalence and Age, Gender and Geographical Area Distribution of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinomas in North China from 1985 to 2006

Feng, Xiao-Shan,Yang, Yan-Tong,Gao, She-Gan,Ru, Yi,Wang, Gong-Ping,Zhou, Bo,Wang, Yu-Feng,Zhang, Peng-Fei,Li, Pu-Yu,Liu, Yong-Xuan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.5

Objective: To establish the prevalence and distribution profile of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) over a 22-yr period in North China. Methods: Using endoscopy for primary diagnosis and histological analysis for the further confirmation, a total of 74,854 ESCC patients aged 20-89 between January 1985 and December 2006 were investigated to analyze the epidemiological profile including prevalence rates, distribution of age-of-onset, gender and geographical area of ESCC in Luoyang, the highest incidence area of North China. Results: A total of 4092 cases of ESCC were finally diagnosed among 74,854 patients who had their first endoscopies. The prevalence among males was higher than that among females (p<0.01), resulting in an overall male:female OR of 1.2 (95%CI, 1.2-1.3). The prevalence in rural areas was higher than in urban areas (p<0.01), resulting in an overall rural:urban OR of 2.6 (95%CI, 2.4-2.9). The rural:urban ORs and the 95% CI increased continuously from 2.6, 2.3-3.0 to 2.7, 2.2-3.3, respectively, for 4 consecutive periods during the 22-yr study period. Moreover, the median age of onset among females was higher than that among males (p<0.01). For both sexes and in both areas, the prevalence rates declined and the median age of onset rose for 4 consecutive periods in the 22-yrs time frame (p<0.01). Conculsions: These data reveal the epidemiological profile of ESCC in the area of North China, and suggest that urban areas and rural people account for a growing proportion of the ESCC patients although the prevalence of ESCC significantly declined and the median age-of-onset postponed over the 22-yrs period. Moreover, the prevalence status of ESCC in rural areas also underlines the need for public health initiatives aimed at reducing risk factors of this fatal disease.