308 results on '"Wei, Hua"'
Search Results
2. The metabolic pathways of carbon assimilation and polyhydroxyalkanoate production by Rhodospirillum rubrum in response to different atmospheric fermentation.
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Manyu Tang, Xin Zhen, Guoqiang Zhao, Shuang Wu, Wei Hua, Jingwen Qiang, Cheng Yanling, and Wanqing Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
The purple nonsulfur bacteria, Rhodospirillum rubrum, is recognized as a potential strain for PHAs bioindustrial processes since they can assimilate a broad range of carbon sources, such as syngas, to allow reduction of the production costs. In this study, we comparatively analyzed the biomass and PHA formation behaviors of R. rubrum under 100% CO and 50% CO gas atmosphere and found that pure CO promoted the PHA synthesis (PHA content up to 23.3% of the CDW). Hydrogen addition facilitated the uptake and utilization rates of CO and elevated 3-HV monomers content (molar proportion of 3-HV up to 9.2% in the presence of 50% H2). To elucidate the genetic events culminating in the CO assimilation process, we performed whole transcriptome analysis of R. rubrum grown under 100% CO or 50% CO using RNA sequencing. Transcriptomic analysis indicated different CO2 assimilation strategy was triggered by the presence of H2, where the CBB played a minor role. An increase in BCAA biosynthesis related gene abundance was observed under 50% CO condition. Furthermore, we detected the α-ketoglutarate (αKG) synthase, converting fumarate to αKG linked to the αKG-derived amino acids synthesis, and series of threonine-dependent isoleucine synthesis enzymes were significantly induced. Collectively, our results suggested that those amino acid synthesis pathways represented a key way for carbon assimilation and redox potential maintenance by R. rubrum growth under syngas condition, which could partly replace the PHA production and affect its monomer composition in copolymers. Finally, a fed-batch fermentation of the R. rubrum in a 3-l bioreactor was carried out and proved H2 addition indeed increased the PHA accumulation rate, yielding 20% ww-1 PHA production within six days.
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- 2024
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3. In vivo pharmacokinetics of ginsenoside compound K mediated by gut microbiota.
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Deng, Ming-Si, Huang, Su-tian-zi, Xu, Ya-Ni, Shao, Li, Wang, Zheng-Guang, Chen, Liang-Jian, and Huang, Wei-Hua
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LIQUID chromatography-mass spectrometry ,GUT microbiome ,GINSENOSIDES ,PHARMACOKINETICS ,RATS ,BIOCONVERSION - Abstract
Ginsenoside Compound K (GCK) is the main metabolite of natural protopanaxadiol ginsenosides with diverse pharmacological effects. Gut microbiota contributes to the biotransformation of GCK, while the effect of gut microbiota on the pharmacokinetics of GCK in vivo remains unclear. To illustrate the role of gut microbiota in GCK metabolism in vivo, a systematic investigation of the pharmacokinetics of GCK in specific pathogen free (SPF) and pseudo-germ-free (pseudo-GF) rats were conducted. Pseudo-GF rats were treated with non-absorbable antibiotics. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was validated for the quantification of GCK in rat plasma. Compared with SPF rats, the plasma concentration of GCK significantly increased after the gut microbiota depleted. The results showed that GCK absorption slowed down, T
max delayed by 3.5 h, AUC0-11 increased by 1.3 times, CLz/F decreased by 0.6 times in pseudo-GF rats, and Cmax was 1.6 times higher than that of normal rats. The data indicated that gut microbiota played an important role in the pharmacokinetics of GCK in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
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4. Research on military-civilian collaborative innovation of science and technology based on a stochastic differential game model
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Liang, Xin, primary, Liang, Yunjuan, additional, Kang, Weijia, additional, and Wei, Hua, additional
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- 2024
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5. Transmission mode of watermelon silver mottle virus by Thrips palmi.
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De-Fen Mou, Wei-Te Chen, Wei-Hua Li, Tsung-Chi Chen, Chien-Hao Tseng, Li-Hsin Huang, Jui-Chu Peng, Shyi-Dong Yeh, and Chi-Wei Tsai
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Thrips and thrips-transmitted tospoviruses cause significant losses in crop yields worldwide. The melon thrips (Thrips palmi) is not only a pest of cucurbit crops, but also a vector that transmits tospoviruses, such as the watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV). Vector transmission of tospoviruses has been well studied in the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV)-Frankliniella occidentalis model system; however, until now the transmission mode of WSMoV by T. palmi has not been sufficiently examined. The results of the transmission assays suggest that T. palmi transmits WSMoV in a persistent manner, and that the virus is mainly transmitted by adults, having been ingested at the first-instar larval stage. Complementary RNAs corresponding to the NSm and NSs genes of WSMoV were detected in viruliferous thrips by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; NSs protein was also detected in viruliferous thrips by western blotting, verifying the replication of WSMoV in T. palmi. Furthermore, we demonstrated that in thrips infected with WSMoV at the first-instar larval stage, the virus eventually infected various tissues of the adult thrips, including the primary salivary glands. Taken together, these results suggest that T. palmi transmits WSMoV in a persistent-propagative mode. The results of this study make a significant contribution to the understanding of the transmission biology of tospoviruses in general.
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- 2021
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6. PID1 alters the antilipolytic action of insulin and increases lipolysis via inhibition of AKT/PKA pathway activation.
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Chunyan Yin, Wei Hua Liu, Yuesheng Liu, Li Wang, and Yanfeng Xiao
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of phosphotyrosine interaction domain containing 1 (PID1) on the insulin-induced activation of the AKT (protein kinase B)/protein kinase A (PKA)/hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) pathway and lipolysis.MethodsSprague-Dawley rats were fed either chow or a high-fat diet (HFD). The levels of insulin, glycerol, free fatty acids (FFAs) and PID1 mRNA expression were measured in the 2 groups. Furthermore, we examined the role of PID1 in the regulation of the AKT/PKA/HSL cascade and lipolysis in the 3T3-L1 cell line.ResultsAdipose tissue from HFD rats exhibited elevated PID1 expression, which showed a positive correlation with insulin levels and lipolysis. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we found that the antilipolytic effect of insulin is mediated by AKT and that phosphorylated AKT results in the promotion of PDE3B expression, the dephosphorylation of PKA and HSL and the suppression of glycerol release. However, overexpression of PID1 and treatment with 1 μM isoproterenol and 100 nM insulin for 24 h resulted in an increased release of glycerol and a noticeable inhibition of AKT phosphorylation, PDE3B expression and the phosphorylation of PKA/HSL in 3T3-L1 cells. In contrast, knockdown of PID1 and treatment with the above reagents inhibited lipolysis and activated the phosphorylation of AKT, which resulted in the dephosphorylation of PKA and HSL.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that PID1 in adipose tissue increases lipolysis by altering the antilipolytic action of insulin. This suggests that PID1 may represent a new therapeutic target to ameliorate adipocyte lipolysis and hence improve insulin sensitivity.
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- 2019
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7. Correction: PID1 alters the antilipolytic action of insulin and increases lipolysis via inhibition of AKT/PKA pathway activation.
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Chunyan Yin, Wei Hua Liu, Yuesheng Liu, Li Wang, and Yanfeng Xiao
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214606.].
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- 2019
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8. Early warning model and prevention of regional financial risk integrated into legal system.
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Zhuang, Yanyu and Wei, Hua
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FINANCIAL risk , *FINANCIAL crises , *FINANCIAL stress , *JUSTICE administration , *ECONOMIC indicators , *VECTOR autoregression model , *NATURAL disaster warning systems , *TIME series analysis - Abstract
In order to improve the laws and regulations of the financial system, in the construction of laws and regulations, the traditional financial risk Early Warning (EW) model is optimized. The financial prevention and control measures with legal protection are implemented to warn the financial risks, which plays an important role in the construction of the rule of law in the Financial Market (FM) and the establishment of financial risk prevention and control laws and regulations. This paper combines the deep learning model and the Markov regime Switching Vector Auto Regression (MS-VAR) model and constructs a regional financial risk EW model from the following aspects: macroeconomic operation EW indicators, regional economic risk EW indicators, regional financial institution risk EW indicators. The model is empirically researched and analyzed. The results show that the fluctuation trend of the macroeconomic pressure index in the time series is relatively large, and the overall fluctuation of the regional economic pressure index is small, and fluctuates around 0 in most periods. After the financial crisis, local governments stepped up their supervision of non-performing corporate and household loans. From 2011 to 2018, the non-performing loan ratio began to decline, and the overall fluctuation of the regional financial comprehensive stress index was small, fluctuating around 0. Due to the lack of legal regulation, from the perspective of the regional economy, the risk level is more likely to change from low risk to moderate risk, while the risk status is less likely to change from high risk to moderate risk. From the perspective of regional financial institutions, the probabilities of maintaining low risk and moderate risk are 0.98 and 0.97, respectively, which is stronger than maintaining the stability of high risk. From the perspective of the state transition of the regional financial risk composite index, the probability of maintaining low risk and high risk is 0.97 and 0.93, which is higher than maintaining the stability of medium risk. The Deep Learning (DL) regional financial risk EW MS-VAR model has strong risk prediction ability. The model can better analyze the conversion probability of regional financial risk EW index and has better risk EW ability. This paper enhances the role of legal systems in financial risk prevention and control. The regional financial risk EW model incorporating financial legal indicators can better describe the regional financial risk level, and the EW results are basically consistent with the actual situation. In order to effectively prevent financial risks and ensure the safety of the financial system, it is recommended that the government improve local debt management, improve financial regulations and systems, and improve the legislative level of financial legal supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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9. Modelling the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on workplace transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the home-delivery sector.
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Whitfield, Carl A., van Tongeren, Martie, Han, Yang, Wei, Hua, Daniels, Sarah, Regan, Martyn, Denning, David W., Verma, Arpana, Pellis, Lorenzo, and Hall, Ian
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TELECOMMUTING ,WAREHOUSES ,SARS-CoV-2 ,SOCIAL distancing ,OCCUPATIONAL roles ,INFECTIOUS disease transmission - Abstract
Objective: We aimed to use mathematical models of SARS-COV-2 to assess the potential efficacy of non-pharmaceutical interventions on transmission in the parcel delivery and logistics sector. Methods: We devloped a network-based model of workplace contacts based on data and consultations from companies in the parcel delivery and logistics sectors. We used these in stochastic simulations of disease transmission to predict the probability of workplace outbreaks in this settings. Individuals in the model have different viral load trajectories based on SARS-CoV-2 in-host dynamics, which couple to their infectiousness and test positive probability over time, in order to determine the impact of testing and isolation measures. Results: The baseline model (without any interventions) showed different workplace infection rates for staff in different job roles. Based on our assumptions of contact patterns in the parcel delivery work setting we found that when a delivery driver was the index case, on average they infect only 0.14 other employees, while for warehouse and office workers this went up to 0.65 and 2.24 respectively. In the LIDD setting this was predicted to be 1.40, 0.98, and 1.34 respectively. Nonetheless, the vast majority of simulations resulted in 0 secondary cases among customers (even without contact-free delivery). Our results showed that a combination of social distancing, office staff working from home, and fixed driver pairings (all interventions carried out by the companies we consulted) reduce the risk of workplace outbreaks by 3-4 times. Conclusion: This work suggests that, without interventions, significant transmission could have occured in these workplaces, but that these posed minimal risk to customers. We found that identifying and isolating regular close-contacts of infectious individuals (i.e. house-share, carpools, or delivery pairs) is an efficient measure for stopping workplace outbreaks. Regular testing can make these isolation measures even more effective but also increases the number of staff isolating at one time. It is therefore more efficient to use these isolation measures in addition to social distancing and contact reduction interventions, rather than instead of, as these reduce both transmission and the number of people needing to isolate at one time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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10. Expression and prognostic significance of MYL9 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
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Jian-Hua Wang, Lan Zhang, Shu-Ting Huang, Jing Xu, Yun Zhou, Xing-Juan Yu, Rong-Zhen Luo, Zhe-Sheng Wen, Wei-Hua Jia, and Min Zheng
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
OBJECTIVE:Myosin light chain 9 (MYL9) is necessary for cytoskeletal dynamics and experimental metastasis, but its expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been addressed. We investigated the expression pattern and clinical significance of MYL9 in patients with ESCC. METHODS:We examined MYL9 expression using quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting in NE1 immortalized esophageal epithelial cells, ESCC cell lines, and paired ESCC tissues. MYL9 protein in 136 primary ESCC tissues and other types of solid tumor was detected using immunohistochemistry. The association between MYL9 expression and clinical parameters and survival was evaluated by statistical analysis. RESULTS:MYL9 was significantly upregulated in the ESCC cell lines as compared with NE1 cells. In the paired ESCC samples, MYL9 mRNA and protein expression was not significantly different between lesion tissues and the matched adjacent noncancerous tissues. In ESCC tissue, both intratumoral and peritumoral stroma were positive for MYL9. In the 136 ESCC samples, high MYL9 expression in the tumor cells significantly correlated with histological differentiation (p = 0.028), recurrence (p = 0.01), and vital status (p < 0.01). Patients with high MYL9 expression in the tumor cells had poorer overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that high MYL9 expression in tumor cells was an independent and significant risk factor affecting OS after curative treatment (hazard ratio = 2.254, 95% confidence interval = 1.347-3.771, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS:MYL9 expression might be a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target in ESCC.
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- 2017
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11. Identification and Fine Mapping of a White Husk Gene in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).
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Wei Hua, Xiao-Qi Zhang, Jinghuan Zhu, Yi Shang, Junmei Wang, Qiaojun Jia, Qisen Zhang, Jianming Yang, and Chengdao Li
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Barley is the only crop in the Poaceae family with adhering husks at maturity. The color of husk at barely development stage could influence the agronomic traits and malting qualities of grains. A barley mutant with a white husk was discovered from the malting barley cultivar Supi 3 and designated wh (white husk). Morphological changes and the genetics of white husk barley were investigated. Husks of the mutant were white at the heading and flowering stages but yellowed at maturity. The diastatic power and α-amino nitrogen contents also significantly increased in wh mutant. Transmission electron microscopy examination showed abnormal chloroplast development in the mutant. Genetic analysis of F2 and BC1F1 populations developed from a cross of wh and Yangnongpi 5 (green husk) showed that the white husk was controlled by a single recessive gene (wh). The wh gene was initially mapped between 49.64 and 51.77 cM on chromosome 3H, which is syntenic with rice chromosome 1 where a white husk gene wlp1 has been isolated. The barley orthologous gene of wlp1 was sequenced from both parents and a 688 bp deletion identified in the wh mutant. We further fine-mapped the wh gene between SSR markers Bmac0067 and Bmag0508a with distances of 0.36 cM and 0.27 cM in an F2 population with 1115 individuals of white husk. However, the wlp1 orthologous gene was mapped outside the interval. New candidate genes were identified based on the barley genome sequence.
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- 2016
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12. UVB Radiation Delays Tribolium castaneum Metamorphosis by Influencing Ecdysteroid Metabolism.
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Wen Sang, Lin Yu, Li He, Wei-Hua Ma, Zhi-Hui Zhu, Fen Zhu, Xiao-Ping Wang, and Chao-Liang Lei
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is an important environmental factor. It is generally known that UVB exhibits high genotoxicity due to causing DNA damage, potentially leading to skin carcinogenesis and aging in mammals. However, little is known about the effects of UVB on the development and metamorphosis of insects, which are the most abundant terrestrial animals. In the present study, we performed dose-response analyses of the effects UVB irradiation on Tribolium castaneum metamorphosis, assessed the function of the T. castaneum prothoracicotropic hormone gene (Trcptth), and analyzed ecdysteroid pathway gene expression profile and ecdysterone titers post-UVB irradiation. The results showed that UVB not only caused death of T. castaneum larvae, but also delayed larval-pupal metamorphosis and reduced the size and emergence rate of pupae. In addition, we verified the function of Trcptth, which is responsible for regulating metamorphosis. It was also found that the expression profiles of Trcptth as well as ecdysteroidogenesis and response genes were influenced by UVB radiation. Therefore, a disturbance pulse of ecdysteroid may be involved in delaying development under exposure to irradiation. To our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that UVB can influence the metamorphosis of insects. This study will contribute to a better understanding of the impact of UVB on signaling mechanisms in insect metamorphosis.
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- 2016
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13. Screening of Drug Metabolizing Enzymes for the Ginsenoside Compound K In Vitro: An Efficient Anti-Cancer Substance Originating from Panax Ginseng.
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Jian Xiao, Dan Chen, Xiu-Xian Lin, Shi-Fang Peng, Mei-Fang Xiao, Wei-Hua Huang, Yi-Cheng Wang, Jing-Bo Peng, Wei Zhang, Dong-Sheng Ouyang, and Yao Chen
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Ginsenoside compound K (CK), a rare ginsenoside originating from Panax Ginseng, has been found to possess unique pharmacological activities specifically as anti-cancers. However, the role of cytochrome P450s (CYPs) in the metabolism of CK is unclear. In this study, we screened the CYPs for the metabolism of CK in vitro using human liver microsomes (HLMs) or human recombinant CYPs. The results showed that CK inhibited the enzyme activities of CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 in the HLMs. The Km and Vmax values of CK were 84.20±21.92 μM and 0.28±0.04 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively, for the HLMs; 34.63±10.48 μM and 0.45±0.05 nmol/nmol P450/min, respectively, for CYP2C9; and 27.03±5.04 μM and 0.68±0.04 nmol/nmol P450/min, respectively, for CYP3A4. The IC50 values were 16.00 μM and 9.83 μM, and Ki values were 14.92 μM and 11.42μM for CYP2C9 and CYP3A4, respectively. Other human CYP isoforms, including CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP2C19, showed minimal or no effect on CK metabolism. The results suggested that CK was a substrate and also inhibitors for both CYP2C9 and CYP3A4. Patients using CK in combination with therapeutic drugs that are substrates of CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 for different reasons should be careful, although the inhibiting potency of CK is much poorer than that of enzyme-specific inhibitors.
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- 2016
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14. Prognostic value of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
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Lin Zhu, Hong Yu, Shi-Yuan Liu, Xiang-Sheng Xiao, Wei-Hua Dong, Yi-Nan Chen, Wei Xu, and Tong Zhu
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) is a small secretory glycoprotein with anti-matrix metalloproteinase activity. Data on the value of TIMP-2 as a prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are discordant and remain controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to explore this issue.We identified the relevant literature by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed, and Wanfang Data databases (search terms: "non-small cell lung cancer" or "NSCLC" or "Lung Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell", "Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2" or "TIMP-2", and "prognosis" or "prognostic" or "survive") for updates prior to March 1, 2014. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) of overall survival with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to evaluate the strength of the association between positive TIMP-2 expression and survival in patients with NSCLC.We included 12 studies in our systematic review; five studies involving 399 patients with NSCLC were meta-analyzed. The pooled HR of all included patients was 0.57 (95% CI: 0.43-0.77), and the HRs of subgroup analysis according to stage (I-IV), testing method (immunohistochemistry) and high TIMP-2 expression percentage (
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- 2015
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15. CD36 Mediated Fatty Acid-Induced Podocyte Apoptosis via Oxidative Stress.
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Wei Hua, Hui-zhe Huang, Lan-ting Tan, Jiang-min Wan, Hai-bo Gui, Liang Zhao, Xiong-zhong Ruan, Xue-mei Chen, and Xiao-gang Du
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Hyperlipidemia-induced apoptosis mediated by fatty acid translocase CD36 is associated with increased uptake of ox-LDL or fatty acid in macrophages, hepatocytes and proximal tubular epithelial cells, leading to atherosclerosis, liver damage and fibrosis in obese patients, and diabetic nephropathy (DN), respectively. However, the specific role of CD36 in podocyte apoptosis in DN with hyperlipidemia remains poorly investigated.The expression of CD36 was measured in paraffin-embedded kidney tissue samples (Ctr = 18, DN = 20) by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining. We cultured conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes (MPC5) and treated cells with palmitic acid, and measured CD36 expression by real-time PCR, Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence; lipid uptake by Oil red O staining and BODIPY staining; apoptosis by flow cytometry assay, TUNEL assay and Western blot analysis; and ROS production by DCFH-DA fluorescence staining. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 21.0 statistical software.CD36 expression was increased in kidney tissue from DN patients with hyperlipidemia. Palmitic acid upregulated CD36 expression and promoted its translocation from cytoplasm to plasma membrane in podocytes. Furthermore, palmitic acid increased lipid uptake, ROS production and apoptosis in podocytes, Sulfo-N-succinimidyloleate (SSO), the specific inhibitor of the fatty acid binding site on CD36, decreased palmitic acid-induced fatty acid accumulation, ROS production, and apoptosis in podocytes. Antioxidant 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6- tetramethylpiperidine -1-oxyl (tempol) inhibited the overproduction of ROS and apoptosis in podocytes induced by palmitic acid.CD36 mediated fatty acid-induced podocyte apoptosis via oxidative stress might participate in the process of DN.
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- 2015
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16. P2Y2 Receptor and EGFR Cooperate to Promote Prostate Cancer Cell Invasion via ERK1/2 Pathway.
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Wei-Hua Li, Ying Qiu, Hong-Quan Zhang, Xin-Xia Tian, and Wei-Gang Fang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
As one member of G protein-coupled P2Y receptors, P2Y2 receptor can be equally activated by extracellular ATP and UTP. Our previous studies have proved that activation of P2Y2 receptor by extracellular ATP could promote prostate cancer cell invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo via regulating the expressions of some epithelial-mesenchymal transition/invasion-related genes (including IL-8, E-cadherin, Snail and Claudin-1), and the most significant change in expression of IL-8 was observed after P2Y2 receptor activation. However, the signaling pathway downstream of P2Y2 receptor and the role of IL-8 in P2Y2-mediated prostate cancer cell invasion remain unclear. Here, we found that extracellular ATP/UTP induced activation of EGFR and ERK1/2. After knockdown of P2Y2 receptor, the ATP -stimulated phosphorylation of EGFR and ERK1/2 was significantly suppressed. Further experiments showed that inactivation of EGFR and ERK1/2 attenuated ATP-induced invasion and migration, and suppressed ATP-mediated IL-8 production. In addition, knockdown of IL-8 inhibited ATP-mediated invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells. These findings suggest that P2Y2 receptor and EGFR cooperate to upregulate IL-8 production via ERK1/2 pathway, thereby promoting prostate cancer cell invasion and migration. Thus blocking of the P2Y2-EGFR-ERK1/2 pathway may provide effective therapeutic interventions for prostate cancer.
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- 2015
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17. Application of 5-Fluorouracil-Polycaprolactone Sustained-Release Film in Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation Inhibits Postoperative Bleb Scarring in Rabbit Eyes.
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Xiu-Zeng Bi, Wei-Hua Pan, Xin-Ping Yu, Zong-Ming Song, Zeng-Jin Ren, Min Sun, Cong-Hui Li, and Kai-Hui Nan
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
This study was designed to investigate whether 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu)-polycaprolactone sustained-release film in Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation inhibits postoperative bleb scarring in rabbit eyes. Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups (A, B and C; n = 6 per group). Group A received combined 5-Fu-polycaprolactone sustained-release film application and Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation, group B received local infiltration of 5-Fu and Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation, and group C received Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation. Postoperative observations were made of the anterior segment, intraocular pressure, central anterior chamber depth, blebs, drainage tube, and accompanying ciliary body detachment. The pathology of the blebs and surrounding tissues were observed at month 3 postoperatively. We revealed that the 5-Fu-polycaprolactone sustained-release film maintained a release concentration range of 13.7 ± 0.12 to 37.41 ± 0.47 μg/ml over three months in vitro. Postoperatively, diffuse blebs with ridges were found in all eyes in group A, two blebs were observed in group B, and no bleb formation was present in group C. The postoperative central anterior chamber depth in group A was significantly less than that of the other two groups. The postoperative intraocular pressure of group A stabilized at 6.33-8.67 mmHg, whereas that of group C gradually remained at 7.55-10.02 mmHg. The histopathology showed that the fibrous tissue thickness of the blebs in group A was significantly thinner than that of the other groups. We conclude that the 5-Fu-polycaprolactone sustained-release film had a sustained drug release effect, which promoted the inhibition of bleb scarring after Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation.
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- 2015
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18. Improvement of Image Quality and Diagnostic Performance by an Innovative Motion-Correction Algorithm for Prospectively ECG Triggered Coronary CT Angiography.
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Zhen-Nan Li, Wei-Hua Yin, Bin Lu, Hong-Bing Yan, Chao-Wei Mu, Yang Gao, Zhi-Hui Hou, Zhi-Qiang Wang, Kun Liu, Ashley H Parinella, and Jonathon A Leipsic
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
To investigate the effect of a novel motion-correction algorithm (Snap-short Freeze, SSF) on image quality and diagnostic accuracy in patients undergoing prospectively ECG-triggered CCTA without administering rate-lowering medications.Forty-six consecutive patients suspected of CAD prospectively underwent CCTA using prospective ECG-triggering without rate control and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Image quality, interpretability, and diagnostic performance of SSF were compared with conventional multisegment reconstruction without SSF, using ICA as the reference standard.All subjects (35 men, 57.6 ± 8.9 years) successfully underwent ICA and CCTA. Mean heart rate was 68.8±8.4 (range: 50-88 beats/min) beats/min without rate controlling medications during CT scanning. Overall median image quality score (graded 1-4) was significantly increased from 3.0 to 4.0 by the new algorithm in comparison to conventional reconstruction. Overall interpretability was significantly improved, with a significant reduction in the number of non-diagnostic segments (690 of 694, 99.4% vs 659 of 694, 94.9%; P
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- 2015
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19. A de novo transcriptome and valid reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR in Colaphellus bowringi.
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Qian-Qian Tan, Li Zhu, Yi Li, Wen Liu, Wei-Hua Ma, Chao-Liang Lei, and Xiao-Ping Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
The cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi Baly is a serious insect pest of crucifers and undergoes reproductive diapause in soil. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms of diapause regulation, insecticide resistance, and other physiological processes is helpful for developing new management strategies for this beetle. However, the lack of genomic information and valid reference genes limits knowledge on the molecular bases of these physiological processes in this species.Using Illumina sequencing, we obtained more than 57 million sequence reads derived from C. bowringi, which were assembled into 39,390 unique sequences. A Clusters of Orthologous Groups classification was obtained for 9,048 of these sequences, covering 25 categories, and 16,951 were assigned to 255 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Eleven candidate reference gene sequences from the transcriptome were then identified through reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Among these candidate genes, EF1α, ACT1, and RPL19 proved to be the most stable reference genes for different reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction experiments in C. bowringi. Conversely, aTUB and GAPDH were the least stable reference genes.The abundant putative C. bowringi transcript sequences reported enrich the genomic resources of this beetle. Importantly, the larger number of gene sequences and valid reference genes provide a valuable platform for future gene expression studies, especially with regard to exploring the molecular mechanisms of different physiological processes in this species.
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- 2015
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20. Anti-epileptic effect of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides by inhibition of intracellular calcium accumulation and stimulation of expression of CaMKII α in epileptic hippocampal neurons.
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Shu-Qiu Wang, Xiao-Jie Li, Hong-Bin Qiu, Zhi-Mei Jiang, Maria Simon, Xiao-Ru Ma, Lei Liu, Jun-Xing Liu, Fang-Fang Wang, Yan-Feng Liang, Jia-Mei Wu, Wei-Hua Di, and Shaobo Zhou
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
PurposeTo investigate the mechanism of the anti-epileptic effect of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP), the changes of intracellular calcium and CaMK II α expression in a model of epileptic neurons were investigated.MethodPrimary hippocampal neurons were divided into: 1) Control group, neurons were cultured with Neurobasal medium, for 3 hours; 2) Model group I: neurons were incubated with Mg(2+) free medium for 3 hours; 3) Model group II: neurons were incubated with Mg(2+) free medium for 3 hours then cultured with the normal medium for a further 3 hours; 4) GLP group I: neurons were incubated with Mg(2+) free medium containing GLP (0.375 mg/ml) for 3 hours; 5) GLP group II: neurons were incubated with Mg(2+) free medium for 3 hours then cultured with a normal culture medium containing GLP for a further 3 hours. The CaMK II α protein expression was assessed by Western-blot. Ca(2+) turnover in neurons was assessed using Fluo-3/AM which was added into the replacement medium and Ca(2+) turnover was observed under a laser scanning confocal microscope.ResultsThe CaMK II α expression in the model groups was less than in the control groups, however, in the GLP groups, it was higher than that observed in the model group. Ca(2+) fluorescence intensity in GLP group I was significantly lower than that in model group I after 30 seconds, while in GLP group II, it was reduced significantly compared to model group II after 5 minutes.ConclusionGLP may inhibit calcium overload and promote CaMK II α expression to protect epileptic neurons.
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- 2014
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21. The prevalence of chromosomal deletions relating to developmental delay and/or intellectual disability in human euploid blastocysts.
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Wenyin He, Xiaofang Sun, Lian Liu, Man Li, Hua Jin, and Wei-Hua Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Chromosomal anomalies in human embryos produced by in vitro fertilization are very common, which include numerical (aneuploidy) and structural (deletion, duplication or others) anomalies. Our previous study indicated that chromosomal deletion(s) is the most common structural anomaly accounting for approximately 8% of euploid blastocysts. It is still unknown if these deletions in human euploid blastocysts have clinical significance. In this study, we analyzed 15 previously diagnosed euploid blastocysts that had chromosomal deletion(s) using Agilent oligonucleotide DNA microarray platform and localized the gene location in each deletion. Then, we used OMIM gene map and phenotype database to investigate if these deletions are related with some important genes that cause genetic diseases, especially developmental delay or intellectual disability. As results, we found that the detectable chromosomal deletion size with Agilent microarray is above 2.38 Mb, while the deletions observed in human blastocysts are between 11.6 to 103 Mb. With OMIM gene map and phenotype database information, we found that deletions can result in loss of 81-464 genes. Out of these genes, 34-149 genes are related with known genetic problems. Furthermore, we found that 5 out of 15 samples lost genes in the deleted region, which were related to developmental delay and/or intellectual disability. In conclusion, our data indicates that all human euploid blastocysts with chromosomal deletion(s) are abnormal and transfer of these embryos may cause birth defects and/or developmental and intellectual disabilities. Therefore, the embryos with chromosomal deletion revealed by DNA microarray should not be transferred to the patients, or further gene map and/or phenotype seeking is necessary before making a final decision.
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- 2014
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22. A new QTL for plant height in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) showing no negative effects on grain yield.
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Junmei Wang, Jianming Yang, Qiaojun Jia, Jinghuan Zhu, Yi Shang, Wei Hua, and Meixue Zhou
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Reducing plant height has played an important role in improving crop yields. The success of a breeding program relies on the source of dwarfing genes. For a dwarfing or semi-dwarfing gene to be successfully used in a breeding program, the gene should have minimal negative effects on yield and perform consistently in different environments. METHODS: In this study, 182 doubled haploid lines, generated from a cross between TX9425 and Naso Nijo, were grown in six different environments to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling plant height and investigate QTL × environments interaction. RESULTS: A QTL for plant was identified on 7H. This QTL showed no significant effects on other agronomic traits and yield components and consistently expressed in the six environments. A sufficient allelic effect makes it possible for this QTL to be successfully used in breeding programs.
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- 2014
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23. The pretreatment albumin to globulin ratio has predictive value for long-term mortality in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
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Xiao-Jing Du, Ling-Long Tang, Yan-Ping Mao, Ying Sun, Mu-Sheng Zeng, Tie-Bang Kang, Wei-Hua Jia, Ai-Hua Lin, and Jun Ma
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND:Low serum albumin is predictive of poor survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We evaluated the ability of the pretreatment albumin/globulin ratio (AGR) to predict long-term mortality in patients with NPC. METHODS:This retrospective study examined an unselected cohort of 694 patients with NPC who had documented pretreatment total serum protein and serum albumin levels (ALB). AGR was calculated as [AGR = ALB/(total serum protein--ALB)]. Survival analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of AGR. RESULTS:Multivariate analysis demonstrated that a low pretreatment serum AGR (
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- 2014
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24. An exploration of computer game-based instruction in the 'world history' class in secondary education: a comparative study in China.
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Zhonggen Yu, Wei Hua Yu, Xiaohui Fan, and Xiao Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
So far, many studies on educational games have been carried out in America and Europe. Very few related empirical studies, however, have been conducted in China. This study, combining both quantitative with qualitative research methods, possibly compensated for this regret. The study compared data collected from two randomly selected classes (out of 13 classes) under computer game-based instruction (CGBI) and non-computer game-based instruction (NCGBI), respectively, in a senior high school located in Nanjing, Capital of Jiangsu Province, in China. The participants were 103 students, composed of 52 boys and 51 girls (aged 17-18 years old). The following conclusion was reached: (1) participants under CGBI obtained significantly greater learning achievement than those under NCGBI; (2) participants were significantly more motivated by CGBI compared with NCGBI; (3) there were no significant differences in learning achievement between boys and girls; although (4) boys were significantly more motivated by CGBI than girls. Both disadvantages and advantages were discussed, together with directions for future research.
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- 2014
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25. Effective extraction and assembly methods for simultaneously obtaining plastid and mitochondrial genomes.
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Wanjun Hao, Shihang Fan, Wei Hua, and Hanzhong Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
In conventional approaches to plastid and mitochondrial genome sequencing, the sequencing steps are performed separately; thus, plastid DNA (ptDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) should be prepared independently. However, it is difficult to extract pure ptDNA and mtDNA from plant tissue. Following the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, many researchers have attempted to obtain plastid genomes or mitochondrial genomes using high-throughput sequencing data from total DNA. Unfortunately, the huge datasets generated consume massive computing and storage resources and cost a great deal, and even more importantly, excessive pollution reads affect the accuracy of the assembly. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an effective method that can generate base sequences from plant tissue and that is suitable for all plant species. Here, we describe a highly effective, low-cost method for obtaining plastid and mitochondrial genomes simultaneously.First, we obtained high-quality DNA employing Partial Concentration Extraction. Second, we evaluated the purity of the DNA sample and determined the sequencing dataset size employing Vector Control Quantitative Analysis. Third, paired-end reads were obtained using a high-throughput sequencing platform. Fourth, we obtained scaffolds employing Two-step Assembly. Finally, we filled in gaps using specific methods and obtained complete plastid and mitochondrial genomes. To ensure the accuracy of plastid and mitochondrial genomes, we validated the assembly using PCR and Sanger sequencing. Using this method,we obtained complete plastid and mitochondrial genomes with lengths of 153,533 nt and 223,412 nt separately.A simple method for extracting, evaluating, sequencing and assembling plastid and mitochondrial genomes was developed. This method has many advantages: it is timesaving, inexpensive and reproducible and produces high-quality sequence. Furthermore, this method can produce plastid and mitochondrial genomes simultaneously and be used for other plant species. Due to its simplicity and extensive applicability, this method will support research on plant cytoplasmic genomes.
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- 2014
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26. iBrick: a new standard for iterative assembly of biological parts with homing endonucleases.
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Jia-Kun Liu, Wei-Hua Chen, Shuang-Xi Ren, Guo-Ping Zhao, and Jin Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
The BioBricks standard has made the construction of DNA modules easier, quicker and cheaper. So far, over 100 BioBricks assembly schemes have been developed and many of them, including the original standard of BBF RFC 10, are now widely used. However, because the restriction endonucleases employed by these standards usually recognize short DNA sequences that are widely spread among natural DNA sequences, and these recognition sites must be removed before the parts construction, there is much inconvenience in dealing with large-size DNA parts (e.g., more than couple kilobases in length) with the present standards. Here, we introduce a new standard, namely iBrick, which uses two homing endonucleases of I-SceI and PI-PspI. Because both enzymes recognize long DNA sequences (>18 bps), their sites are extremely rare in natural DNA sources, thus providing additional convenience, especially in handling large pieces of DNA fragments. Using the iBrick standard, the carotenoid biosynthetic cluster (>4 kb) was successfully assembled and the actinorhodin biosynthetic cluster (>20 kb) was easily cloned and heterologously expressed. In addition, a corresponding nomenclature system has been established for the iBrick standard.
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- 2014
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27. Comparison of long-term survival and toxicity of cisplatin delivered weekly versus every three weeks concurrently with intensity-modulated radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
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Chang-Juan Tao, Li Lin, Guan-Qun Zhou, Ling-Long Tang, Lei Chen, Yan-Ping Mao, Mu-Sheng Zeng, Tie-Bang Kang, Wei-Hua Jia, Jian-Yong Shao, Hai-Qiang Mai, Ai-Hua Lin, Jun Ma, and Ying Sun
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND:We aimed to compare the long-term survival outcomes and acute toxicity of cisplatin administered weekly versus every three weeks concurrently with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS:This was a retrospective review of 154 patients with histologically proven, non-disseminated NPC who were treated using IMRT between January 2003 and December 2007. Seventy-three patients (47.4%) received 5-7 weeks of 30-40 mg/m2 cisplatin weekly; 81 patients (52.6%) received two or three cycles of 80 mg/m2 cisplatin every three weeks. IMRT was delivered at 68 Gy/30 fractions to the nasopharyngeal gross target volume and 60-66 Gy to the involved neck area. RESULTS:The clinical characteristics and treatment factors of the two groups were well-balanced. The median follow-up was 74 months (range, 6-123 months), and the 5-year overall survival, disease-free survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival rates were 85.2% vs. 78.9% (P = 0.318), 71.6% vs. 71.0% (P = 0.847), 93.5% vs. 92.6% (P = 0.904), and 80.9% vs. 80.1% (P = 0.925) for the group treated every three weeks and weekly, respectively. Subgroup analyses indicated no significant differences in the survival rates of the two groups among patients with early- or advanced-stage disease. The incidence of acute toxicities was similar between groups. CONCLUSION:IMRT with concurrent cisplatin administered weekly or every three weeks leads to similar long-term survival outcomes and acute toxicity in NPC regardless of whether patients have early- or advanced-stage disease.
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- 2014
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28. Global metabolomic analyses of the hemolymph and brain during the initiation, maintenance, and termination of pupal diapause in the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera.
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Yu-Xuan Lu, Qi Zhang, and Wei-Hua Xu
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
A strategy known as diapause (developmental arrest) has evolved in insects to increase their survival rate under harsh environmental conditions. Diapause causes a dramatic reduction in the metabolic rate and drastically extends lifespan. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the metabolic changes involved. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we compared the changes in the metabolite levels in the brain and hemolymph of nondiapause- and diapause-destined cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, during the initiation, maintenance, and termination of pupal diapause. A total of 55 metabolites in the hemolymph and 52 metabolites in the brain were detected. Of these metabolites, 21 and 12 metabolite levels were altered in the diapause pupal hemolymph and brain, respectively. During diapause initiation and maintenance, the number of metabolites with increased levels in the hemolymph of the diapausing pupae is far greater than the number in the nondiapause pupae. These increased metabolites function as an energy source, metabolic intermediates, and cryoprotectants. The number of metabolites with decreased levels in the brain of diapausing pupae is far greater than the number in the nondiapause pupae. Low metabolite levels are likely to directly or indirectly repress the brain metabolic activity. During diapause termination, most of the metabolite levels in the hemolymph of the diapausing pupae rapidly decrease because they function as energy and metabolic sources that promote pupa-adult development. In conclusion, the metabolites with altered levels in the hemolymph and brain serve as energy and metabolic resources and help to maintain a low brain metabolic activity during diapause.
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- 2014
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29. Therapeutic effect of Jinzhen oral liquid for hand foot and mouth disease: a randomized, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
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Jun Liu, Guo-Liang Zhang, Gui-Qin Huang, Li Li, Chun-Ping Li, Mei Wang, Xiao-Yan Liang, Di Xie, Chang-Ming Yang, Yan Li, Xiu-Rong Sun, Hong-Sen Zhang, Bai-Song Wan, Wei-Hua Zhang, Hao Yu, Ru-Yang Zhang, Ya-Nan Yu, Zhong Wang, and Yong-Yan Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND: No specific antiviral agent against hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is available for clinical practice today. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Jinzhen oral solution in treating uncomplicated HFMD. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 399 children aged 1 to 7 years with laboratory confirmed HFMD were randomized to receive Jinzhen oral liquid or placebo 3 times daily for 7 days with a 3-day follow-up. The primary outcomes were time to the first disappearance of oral ulcers and vesicles on hand or foot and time to the first normalization of temperature (fever clearance). RESULTS: There were 199 children enrolling into the Jinzhen group including 79 with fever and 200 into the placebo group including 93 with fever. Jinzhen reduced the time to the first disappearance of oral ulcers and vesicles on hand or foot to 4.9 days (95% CI, 4.6 to 5.2 days), compared with 5.7 days (95% CI, 5.4 to 6.0 days) in the placebo group (P = 0.0036). The median time of fever clearance was shorter in the 79 children who received Jinzhen (43.41 hrs, 95% CI, 37.05 to 49.76) than that in the 93 children who received placebo (54.92 hrs, 95% CI, 48.16 to 61.68) (P = 0.0161). Moreover, Jinzhen reduced the risk of symptoms by 28.5% compared with placebo (HR, 0.7150, 95% CI, 0.5719 to 0.8940, P = 0.0032). More importantly, treatment failure rate was significantly lower in the Jinzhen group (8.04%) compared with that in the placebo group (15.00%) (P = 0.0434). The incidence of serious adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups (9 in Jinzhen group vs. 18 in placebo, P = 0.075). CONCLUSIONS: Children with HFMD may benefit from Jinzhen oral liquid treatment as compared with placebo. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org/en/) ChiCTR-TRC-10000937.
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- 2014
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30. P2X7 mediates ATP-driven invasiveness in prostate cancer cells.
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Ying Qiu, Wei-Hua Li, Hong-Quan Zhang, Yan Liu, Xin-Xia Tian, and Wei-Gang Fang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
The ATP-gated P2X7 has been shown to play an important role in invasiveness and metastasis of some tumors. However, the possible links and underlying mechanisms between P2X7 and prostate cancer have not been elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that P2X7 was highly expressed in some prostate cancer cells. Down-regulation of P2X7 by siRNA significantly attenuated ATP- or BzATP-driven migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells in vitro, and inhibited tumor invasiveness and metastases in nude mice. In addition, silencing of P2X7 remarkably attenuated ATP- or BzATP- driven expression changes of EMT/invasion-related genes Snail, E-cadherin, Claudin-1, IL-8 and MMP-3, and weakened the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 in vitro. Similar effects were observed in nude mice. These data indicate that P2X7 stimulates cell invasion and metastasis in prostate cancer cells via some EMT/invasion-related genes, as well as PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. P2X7 could be a promising therapeutic target for prostate cancer.
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- 2014
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31. Searching the cytochrome p450 enzymes for the metabolism of meranzin hydrate: a prospective antidepressant originating from Chaihu-Shugan-San.
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Xi Huang, Ying Guo, Wei-Hua Huang, Wei Zhang, Zhi-Rong Tan, Jing-Bo Peng, Yi-Cheng Wang, Dong-Li Hu, Dong-Sheng Ouyang, Jian Xiao, Yang Wang, Min Luo, and Yao Chen
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Meranzin hydrate (MH), an absorbed bioactive compound from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Chaihu-Shugan-San (CSS), was first isolated in our laboratory and was found to possess anti-depression activity. However, the role of cytochrome P450s (CYPs) in the metabolism of MH was unclear. In this study, we screened the CYPs for the metabolism of MH in vitro by human liver microsomes (HLMs) or human recombinant CYPs. MH inhibited the enzyme activities of CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 in a concentration-dependent manner in the HLMs. The Km and Vmax values of MH were 10.3±1.3 µM and 99.1±3.3 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively, for the HLMs; 8.0±1.6 µM and 112.4±5.7 nmol/nmol P450/min, respectively, for CYP1A2; and 25.9±6.6 µM and 134.3±12.4 nmol/nmol P450/min, respectively, for CYP2C19. Other human CYP isoforms including CYP2A6, CYP2C9, CYP2D6, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 showed minimal or no effect on MH metabolism. The results suggested that MH was simultaneously a substrate and an inhibitor of CYP1A2 and CYP2C9, and MH had the potential to perpetrate drug-drug interactions with other CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 substrates.
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- 2014
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32. Identification and analysis of the acetylated status of poplar proteins reveals analogous N-terminal protein processing mechanisms with other eukaryotes.
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Chang-Cai Liu, Hang-Yong Zhu, Xiu-Mei Dong, De-Li Ning, Hong-Xia Wang, Wei-Hua Li, Chuan-Ping Yang, and Bai-Chen Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BackgroundThe N-terminal protein processing mechanism (NPM) including N-terminal Met excision (NME) and N-terminal acetylation (N(α)-acetylation) represents a common protein co-translational process of some eukaryotes. However, this NPM occurred in woody plants yet remains unknown.Methodology/principal findingsTo reveal the NPM in poplar, we investigated the N(α)-acetylation status of poplar proteins during dormancy by combining tandem mass spectrometry with TiO2 enrichment of acetylated peptides. We identified 58 N-terminally acetylated (N(α)-acetylated) proteins. Most proteins (47, >81%) are subjected to N(α)-acetylation following the N-terminal removal of Met, indicating that N(α)-acetylation and NME represent a common NPM of poplar proteins. Furthermore, we confirm that poplar shares the analogous NME and N(α)-acetylation (NPM) to other eukaryotes according to analysis of N-terminal features of these acetylated proteins combined with genome-wide identification of the involving methionine aminopeptidases (MAPs) and N-terminal acetyltransferase (Nat) enzymes in poplar. The N(α)-acetylated reactions and the involving enzymes of these poplar proteins are also identified based on those of yeast and human, as well as the subcellular location information of these poplar proteins.Conclusions/significanceThis study represents the first extensive investigation of N(α)-acetylation events in woody plants, the results of which will provide useful resources for future unraveling the regulatory mechanisms of N(α)-acetylation of proteins in poplar.
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- 2013
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33. Simple patterned nanofiber scaffolds and its enhanced performance in immunoassay.
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Jing Wang, Qin-shu Kang, Xiao-guang Lv, Jia Song, Na Zhan, Wei-guo Dong, and Wei-hua Huang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Cancer has become the leading cause of death worldwide; early diagnosis and treatment of cancers is critical for the survival of the patients. The concentration of cancer markers in easy-to-access biological fluids can provide great assistance in screening for occult primary cancers, distinguishing malignant from benign findings, determining prognosis and prediction for cancer patients. The multiplex detection technology of a panel of cancer markers can greatly increase the accuracy of disease diagnosis. Herein, we briefly fabricate a high-throughput micro-immunoassay based on the electrospun polystyrene (PS) substrates to improve detection sensitivity. The immunoassay was evaluated by analyzing three different cancer biomarkers (AFP, CEA, VEGF). For AFP, CEA, VEGF immunofluorescence assay, the LOD of assay conducted on electrospun PS substrates before or after plasma and the conventional PS substrates were 0.42, 0.10, 1.12 ng/mL, 0.57, 0.09, 1.24 ng/mL, and 159.75, 26.19, 385.59 pg/mL, respectively (P < 0.05). Due to the high porosity and large surface area-to-volume ratio which is the foremost merit of nanostructures, and the plasma treatment which make the hydrophobic PS nanofibers hydropholic, the nanofibers substrates showed sufficient retention of immunoassay functionality and high potential for capture molecules immobilization. Consequently, the immunofluorescence assay conducted on electrospun PS substrates could significantly enhance the sensitivity and limits of detection.
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- 2013
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34. Identification of chromosomal errors in human preimplantation embryos with oligonucleotide DNA microarray.
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Lifeng Liang, Cassie T Wang, Xiaofang Sun, Lian Liu, Man Li, Craig Witz, Daniel Williams, Jason Griffith, Josh Skorupski, Ghassan Haddad, Jimmy Gill, and Wei-Hua Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
A previous study comparing the performance of different platforms for DNA microarray found that the oligonucleotide (oligo) microarray platform containing 385K isothermal probes had the best performance when evaluating dosage sensitivity, precision, specificity, sensitivity and copy number variations border definition. Although oligo microarray platform has been used in some research fields and clinics, it has not been used for aneuploidy screening in human embryos. The present study was designed to use this new microarray platform for preimplantation genetic screening in the human. A total of 383 blastocysts from 72 infertility patients with either advanced maternal age or with previous miscarriage were analyzed after biopsy and microarray. Euploid blastocysts were transferred to patients and clinical pregnancy and implantation rates were measured. Chromosomes in some aneuploid blastocysts were further analyzed by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) to evaluate accuracy of the results. We found that most (58.1%) of the blastocysts had chromosomal abnormalities that included single or multiple gains and/or losses of chromosome(s), partial chromosome deletions and/or duplications in both euploid and aneuploid embryos. Transfer of normal euploid blastocysts in 34 cycles resulted in 58.8% clinical pregnancy and 54.4% implantation rates. Examination of abnormal blastocysts by FISH showed that all embryos had matching results comparing microarray and FISH analysis. The present study indicates that oligo microarray conducted with a higher resolution and a greater number of probes is able to detect not only aneuploidy, but also minor chromosomal abnormalities, such as partial chromosome deletion and/or duplication in human embryos. Preimplantation genetic screening of the aneuploidy by DNA microarray is an advanced technology used to select embryos for transfer and improved embryo implantation can be obtained after transfer of the screened normal embryos.
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- 2013
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35. The influence of Angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
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Rong Luo, Xiaoping Li, Yuequn Wang, Yongqing Li, Yun Deng, Yongqi Wan, Zhigang Jiang, Wei Hua, and Xiushan Wu
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Some studies have reported that angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensinogen (AGT) genes have been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, there have been inconsonant results among different studies. To clarify the influence of ACE and AGT on HCM, a systemic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies were performed. The following databases were searched to indentify related studies: PubMed database, the Embase database, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database, China National Knowledge Information database, and Chinese Scientific and Technological Journal database. Search terms included "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy", "angiotensin converting enzyme" (ACE) or "ACE" and "polymorphism or mutation". For the association of AGT M235T polymorphism and HCM, "angiotensin converting enzyme" or "ACE" was replaced with "angiotensinogen". A total of seventeen studies were included in our review. For the association of ACE I/D polymorphism and HCM, eleven literatures were included in the meta-analysis on association of penetrance and genotype. Similarly, six case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis for AGT M235T. For ACE I/D polymorphism, the comparison of DI/II genotype vs DD genotype was performed in the present meta-analysis. The OR was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.527, 0.998, P = 0.049, power = 94%, alpha = 0.05) after the study which deviated from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium was excluded, indicating that the ACE I/D gene polymorphism might be associated with HCM. The AGT M235T polymorphism did not significantly affect the risk of HCM. In addition, ACE I/D gene polymorphism did not significantly influence the interventricular septal thickness in HCM patients. In conclusion, the ACE I/D polymorphism might be associated with the risk of HCM.
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- 2013
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36. Developing genetic epidemiological models to predict risk for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in high-risk population of China.
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Hong-Lian Ruan, Hai-De Qin, Yin Yao Shugart, Jin-Xin Bei, Fu-Tian Luo, Yi-Xin Zeng, and Wei-Hua Jia
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
To date, the only established model for assessing risk for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) relies on the sero-status of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). By contrast, the risk assessment models proposed here include environmental risk factors, family history of NPC, and information on genetic variants. The models were developed using epidemiological and genetic data from a large case-control study, which included 1,387 subjects with NPC and 1,459 controls of Cantonese origin. The predictive accuracy of the models were then assessed by calculating the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUC). To compare the discriminatory improvement of models with and without genetic information, we estimated the net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination index (IDI). Well-established environmental risk factors for NPC include consumption of salted fish and preserved vegetables and cigarette smoking (in pack years). The environmental model alone shows modest discriminatory ability (AUC = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.70), which is only slightly increased by the addition of data on family history of NPC (AUC = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.72). With the addition of data on genetic variants, however, our model's discriminatory ability rises to 0.74 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.76). The improvements in NRI and IDI also suggest the potential usefulness of considering genetic variants when screening for NPC in endemic areas. If these findings are confirmed in larger cohort and population-based case-control studies, use of the new models to analyse data from NPC-endemic areas could well lead to earlier detection of NPC.
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- 2013
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37. Evolutionary dynamics of microsatellite distribution in plants: insight from the comparison of sequenced brassica, Arabidopsis and other angiosperm species.
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Jiaqin Shi, Shunmou Huang, Donghui Fu, Jinyin Yu, Xinfa Wang, Wei Hua, Shengyi Liu, Guihua Liu, and Hanzhong Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Despite their ubiquity and functional importance, microsatellites have been largely ignored in comparative genomics, mostly due to the lack of genomic information. In the current study, microsatellite distribution was characterized and compared in the whole genomes and both the coding and non-coding DNA sequences of the sequenced Brassica, Arabidopsis and other angiosperm species to investigate their evolutionary dynamics in plants. The variation in the microsatellite frequencies of these angiosperm species was much smaller than those for their microsatellite numbers and genome sizes, suggesting that microsatellite frequency may be relatively stable in plants. The microsatellite frequencies of these angiosperm species were significantly negatively correlated with both their genome sizes and transposable elements contents. The pattern of microsatellite distribution may differ according to the different genomic regions (such as coding and non-coding sequences). The observed differences in many important microsatellite characteristics (especially the distribution with respect to motif length, type and repeat number) of these angiosperm species were generally accordant with their phylogenetic distance, which suggested that the evolutionary dynamics of microsatellite distribution may be generally consistent with plant divergence/evolution. Importantly, by comparing these microsatellite characteristics (especially the distribution with respect to motif type) the angiosperm species (aside from a few species) all clustered into two obviously different groups that were largely represented by monocots and dicots, suggesting a complex and generally dichotomous evolutionary pattern of microsatellite distribution in angiosperms. Polyploidy may lead to a slight increase in microsatellite frequency in the coding sequences and a significant decrease in microsatellite frequency in the whole genome/non-coding sequences, but have little effect on the microsatellite distribution with respect to motif length, type and repeat number. Interestingly, several microsatellite characteristics seemed to be constant in plant evolution, which can be well explained by the general biological rules.
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- 2013
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38. MiR-21 in the extracellular vesicles (EVs) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF): a platform for glioblastoma biomarker development.
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Johnny C Akers, Valya Ramakrishnan, Ryan Kim, Johan Skog, Ichiro Nakano, Sandeep Pingle, Juliya Kalinina, Wei Hua, Santosh Kesari, Ying Mao, Xandra O Breakefield, Fred H Hochberg, Erwin G Van Meir, Bob S Carter, and Clark C Chen
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Glioblastoma cells secrete extra-cellular vesicles (EVs) containing microRNAs (miRNAs). Analysis of these EV miRNAs in the bio-fluids of afflicted patients represents a potential platform for biomarker development. However, the analytic algorithm for quantitative assessment of EV miRNA remains under-developed. Here, we demonstrate that the reference transcripts commonly used for quantitative PCR (including GAPDH, 18S rRNA, and hsa-miR-103) were unreliable for assessing EV miRNA. In this context, we quantitated EV miRNA in absolute terms and normalized this value to the input EV number. Using this method, we examined the abundance of miR-21, a highly over-expressed miRNA in glioblastomas, in EVs. In a panel of glioblastoma cell lines, the cellular levels of miR-21 correlated with EV miR-21 levels (p
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- 2013
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39. Regulated expression of lentivirus-mediated GDNF in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and its neuroprotection on dopaminergic cells in vitro.
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Wei-Hua Yang, Chun Yang, Yue-Qiang Xue, Tao Lu, Jakob Reiser, Li-Ru Zhao, and Wei-Ming Duan
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Gene regulation remains one of the major challenges for gene therapy in clinical trials. In the present study, we first generated a binary tetracycline-on (Tet-On) system based on two lentivirus vectors, one expressing both human glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (hGDNF) and humanized recombinant green fluorescent protein (hrGFP) genes under second-generation tetracycline response element (TRE), and the other expressing the advanced reverse tetracycline-controlled transactivator--rtTA2S-M2 under a human minimal cytomegalovirus immediate early (CMV-IE) promoter. This system allows simultaneous expression of hGDNF and hrGFP genes in the presence of doxycycline (Dox). Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were transduced with the binary Tet-On lentivirus vectors and characterized in vitro in the presence (On) or absence (Off) of Dox. The expression of hGDNF and hrGFP transgenes in transduced hMSCs was tightly regulated as determined by flow cytometry (FCM), GDNF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). There was a dose-dependent regulation for hrGFP transgene expression. The levels of hGDNF protein in culture medium were correlated with the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) units of hrGFP. The levels of transgene background expression were very low in the absence of Dox. The treatment of the conditioned medium from cultures of transduced hMSCs in the presence of Dox protected SH-SY5Y cells against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) toxicity as determined by cell viability using 3, [4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The treatment of the conditioned medium was also found to improve the survival of dopaminergic (DA) neurons of ventral mesencephalic (VM) tissue in serum-free culture conditions as assessed by cell body area, the number of neurites and dendrite branching points, and proportion of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (IR) cells. Our inducible lentivirus-mediated hGDNF gene delivery system may provide useful tools for basic research on gene therapy for chronic neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD).
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- 2013
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40. Pre-immunization with an intramuscular injection of AAV9-human erythropoietin vectors reduces the vector-mediated transduction following re-administration in rat brain.
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Chun Yang, Wei-Hua Yang, Sha-Sha Chen, Bao-Feng Ma, Bin Li, Tao Lu, Ting-Yu Qu, Ronald L Klein, Li-Ru Zhao, and Wei-Ming Duan
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
We have recently demonstrated that adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9)-mediated human erythropoietin (hEPO) gene delivery into the brain protects dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. In the present study, we examined whether pre-exposure to AAV9-hEPO vectors with an intramuscular or intrastriatal injection would reduce AAV9-mediated hEPO transduction in rat brain. We first characterized transgene expression and immune responses against AAV9-hEPO vectors in rat striatum at 4 days, 3 weeks and 6 months, and with doses ranging from 10(11) to 10(13) viral genomes. To sensitize immune system, rats received an injection of AAV9-hEPO into either the muscle or the left striatum, and then sequentially an injection of AAV9-hEPO into the right striatum 3 weeks later. We observed that transgene expression exhibited in a time course and dose dependent manner, and inflammatory and immune responses displayed in a time course manner. Intramuscular, but not intrastriatal injections of AAV9-hEPO resulted in reduced levels of hEPO transduction and increased levels of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II antigen expression in the striatum following AAV9-hEPO re-administration. There were infiltration of the cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4)-and CD8-lymphacytes, and accumulation of activated microglial cells and astrocytes in the virally injected striatum. In addition, the sera from the rats with intramuscular injections of AAV9-hEPO contained greater levels of antibodies against both AAV9 capsid protein and hEPO protein than the other treatment groups. hEPO gene expression was negatively correlated with the levels of circulating antibodies against AAV9 capsid protein. Intramuscular and intrastriatal re-administration of AAV9-hEPO led to increased numbers of red blood cells in peripheral blood. Our results suggest that pre-immunization with an intramuscular injection can lead to the reduction of transgene expression in the striatal re-administration.
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- 2013
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41. Aurora-A identifies early recurrence and poor prognosis and promises a potential therapeutic target in triple negative breast cancer.
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Jie Xu, Xing Wu, Wei-hua Zhou, An-wen Liu, Jian-bing Wu, Jin-yun Deng, Cai-feng Yue, Shao-bing Yang, Jing Wang, Zhong-yu Yuan, and Quentin Liu
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) acquires an unfavorable prognosis, emerging as a major challenge for the treatment of breast cancer. In the present study, 122 TNBC patients were subjected to analysis of Aurora-A (Aur-A) expression and survival prognosis. We found that Aur-A high expression was positively associated with initial clinical stage (P = 0.025), the proliferation marker Ki-67 (P = 0.001), and the recurrence rate of TNBC patients (P
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- 2013
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42. Seed structure characteristics to form ultrahigh oil content in rapeseed.
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Zhi-Yong Hu, Wei Hua, Liang Zhang, Lin-Bin Deng, Xin-Fa Wang, Gui-Hua Liu, Wan-Jun Hao, and Han-Zhong Wang
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is an important oil crop in the world, and increasing its oil content is a major breeding goal. The studies on seed structure and characteristics of different oil content rapeseed could help us to understand the biological mechanism of lipid accumulation, and be helpful for rapeseed breeding.Here we report on the seed ultrastructure of an ultrahigh oil content rapeseed line YN171, whose oil content is 64.8%, and compared with other high and low oil content rapeseed lines. The results indicated that the cytoplasms of cotyledon, radicle, and aleuronic cells were completely filled with oil and protein bodies, and YN171 had a high oil body organelle to cell area ratio for all cell types. In the cotyledon cells, oil body organelles comprised 81% of the total cell area in YN171, but only 53 to 58% in three high oil content lines and 33 to 38% in three low oil content lines. The high oil body organelle to cotyledon cell area ratio and the cotyledon ratio in seed were the main reasons for the ultrahigh oil content of YN171. The correlation analysis indicated that oil content is significantly negatively correlated with protein content, but is not correlated with fatty acid composition.Our results indicate that the oil content of YN171 could be enhanced by increasing the oil body organelle to cell ratio for some cell types. The oil body organelle to seed ratio significantly highly positively correlates with oil content, and could be used to predict seed oil content. Based on the structural analysis of different oil content rapeseed lines, we estimate the maximum of rapeseed oil content could reach 75%. Our results will help us to screen and identify high oil content lines in rapeseed breeding.
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- 2013
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43. Transmission mode of watermelon silver mottle virus by Thrips palmi
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Mou, De-Fen, primary, Chen, Wei-Te, additional, Li, Wei-Hua, additional, Chen, Tsung-Chi, additional, Tseng, Chien-Hao, additional, Huang, Li-Hsin, additional, Peng, Jui-Chu, additional, Yeh, Shyi-Dong, additional, and Tsai, Chi-Wei, additional
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- 2021
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44. 20-Hydroxyecdysone protects against oxidative stress-induced neuronal injury by scavenging free radicals and modulating NF-κB and JNK pathways.
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Jun Hu, Chun Xia Luo, Wei Hua Chu, You An Shan, Zhong-Ming Qian, Gang Zhu, Yan Bing Yu, and Hua Feng
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathological processes of ischemic brain damage. Many antioxidants have been shown to protect against cerebral ischemia injury by inhibiting oxidative stress both in vitro and in vivo. 20-Hydroxyecdysone (20E), an ecdysteroid hormone, exhibits antioxidative effects. For the work described in this paper, we used an in vitro oxidative damage model and an in vivo ischemic model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to investigate the neuroprotective effects of 20E and the mechanisms related to these effects. Treatment of cells with H(2)O(2) led to neuronal injury, intracellular ROS/RNS generation, mitochondrial membrane potential dissipation, cellular antioxidant potential descent, an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and an elevation of intracellular [Ca(2+)], all of which were markedly attenuated by 20E. Inhibition of the activation of the ASK1-MKK4/7-JNK stress signaling pathway and cleaved caspase-3 induced by oxidative stress were involved in the neuroprotection afforded by 20E. In addition, 20E reduced the expression of iNOS protein by inhibition of NF-κB activation. The neuroprotective effect of 20E was also confirmed in vivo. 20E significantly decreased infarct volume and the neurological deficit score, restored antioxidant potential and inhibited the increase in MDA and TUNEL-positive and cleaved caspase-3-positive cells in the cerebral cortex in MCAO rats. Together, these results support that 20E protects against cerebral ischemia injury by inhibiting ROS/RNS production and modulating oxidative stress-induced signal transduction pathways.
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- 2012
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45. Analysis of expressed sequence tags and characterization of a novel gene, Slmg7, in the midgut of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura.
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Wen-yin He, Zhong-chen Rao, Dao-hua Zhou, Si-chun Zheng, Wei-hua Xu, and Qi-li Feng
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Out of total 3,081 assembled expressed sequence tags (ESTs) sequences representing 6,815 high-quality ESTs identified in three cDNA libraries constructed with RNA isolated from the midgut of Spodoptera litura, 1,039 ESTs showed significant hits and 1,107 ESTs did not show significant hits in BLAST searches. It is of interest to clarify whether or not these ESTs that did not show hits function in S. Litura.Twenty "no-hit" ESTs containing at least one putative open reading frame were selected for further expression analysis. The results from northern blot analysis showed that six of the selected ESTs are expressed in the larval midgut of this insect at different levels, suggesting that these ESTs represent true mRNA products, whereas the other 14 ESTs could not be detected. Homologues of the four larval midgut-predominant genes (Slmg2, Slmg7, Slmg9 and Slmg17) were detected in the genomes of other lepidopteran insects but not in Drosophila melanogaster. A novel gene, Slmg7, is expressed at a high level specifically in the midgut during each of the larval stages. Slmg7 is a single copy gene and encodes a 143-amino acids protein. The SLMG7 protein was localized to the cytoplasm of Spli-221 cells.Six ESTs from the no hit list are transcribed into mRNA and are mainly expressed in the midgut of S. litura. Slmg7 is a novel gene that is localized to the cytoplasm.
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- 2012
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46. Pleiotropic effects of deubiquitinating enzyme Ubp5 on growth and pathogenesis of Cryptococcus neoformans.
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Wei Fang, Michael S Price, Dena L Toffaletti, Jennifer Tenor, Marisol Betancourt-Quiroz, Jennifer L Price, Wei-hua Pan, Wan-qing Liao, and John R Perfect
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Ubiquitination is a reversible protein modification that influences various cellular processes in eukaryotic cells. Deubiquitinating enzymes remove ubiquitin, maintain ubiquitin homeostasis and regulate protein degradation via the ubiquitination pathway. Cryptococcus neoformans is an important basidiomycete pathogen that causes life-threatening meningoencephalitis primarily in the immunocompromised population. In order to understand the possible influence deubiquitinases have on growth and virulence of the model pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans, we generated deletion mutants of seven putative deubiquitinase genes. Compared to other deubiquitinating enzyme mutants, a ubp5Δ mutant exhibited severely attenuated virulence and many distinct phenotypes, including decreased capsule formation, hypomelanization, defective sporulation, and elevated sensitivity to several external stressors (such as high temperature, oxidative and nitrosative stresses, high salts, and antifungal agents). Ubp5 is likely the major deubiquitinating enzyme for stress responses in C. neoformans, which further delineates the evolutionary divergence of Cryptococcus from the model yeast S. cerevisiae, and provides an important paradigm for understanding the potential role of deubiquitination in virulence by other pathogenic fungi. Other putative deubiquitinase mutants (doa4Δ and ubp13Δ) share some phenotypes with the ubp5Δ mutant, illustrating functional overlap among deubiquitinating enzymes in C. neoformans. Therefore, deubiquitinating enzymes (especially Ubp5) are essential for the virulence composite of C. neoformans and provide an additional yeast survival and propagation advantage in the host.
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- 2012
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47. Pretreatment lifestyle behaviors as survival predictors for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
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Guo-Ping Shen, Feng-Hua Xu, Fen He, Hong-Lian Ruan, Cui Cui, Li-Zhen Chen, Yi-Xin Zeng, and Wei-Hua Jia
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND:Lifestyle behaviors have been widely reported to influence the survival of patients with head and neck cancer. However, the relationship between pretreatment lifestyle behaviors and survival among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is unclear. METHODS:A prospective cohort study was designed to determine the relationship between lifestyle behaviors and survival in 1,533 NPC patients recruited from October 2005 to October 2007. Pretreatment lifestyle behaviors (such as body-mass index [BMI], smoking, alcohol, diet) of the patients were investigated. Univariate and multivariate proportional-hazards models were used to assess the impact of lifestyle behaviors on patient survival. RESULTS:Smoking was a predictor of survival; both current smokers (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.65) and heavy smokers (≥ 25 Pack-years; HR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.30 to 2.60) showed associations with poor survival. Higher BMI was significantly associated with a lower risk of death (P(trend) = 0.002). Compared with under/normal-weight patients (BMI less than 22.99 kg/m(2)), the multivariate HR for survival was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.48 to 0.90) and 0.47 (95% CI, 0.23 to 0.97) for overweight and obese patients, respectively. No alcohol intake and high fruit intake were associated with favorable survival in the univariate analysis but lost significance in the multivariate model. CONCLUSION:Our findings indicate that pretreatment lifestyle behaviors, especially smoking status and BMI, as easily available data, provide prognostic value for survival in NPC patients.
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- 2012
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48. Overexpression of karyopherin 2 in human ovarian malignant germ cell tumor correlates with poor prognosis.
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Li He, Hui Ding, Jian-Hua Wang, Yun Zhou, Li Li, Yan-Hong Yu, Long Huang, Wei-Hua Jia, Musheng Zeng, Jing-Ping Yun, Rong-Zhen Luo, and Min Zheng
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify a biomarker useful in the diagnosis and therapy of ovarian malignant germ cell tumor (OMGCT). METHODS: The karyopherin 2 (KPNA2) expression in OMGCT and normal ovarian tissue was determined by standard gene microarray assays, and further validated by a quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The correlation between KPNA2 expression in OMGCT and certain clinicopathological features were analyzed. Expression of SALL4, a stem cell marker, was also examined in comparison with KPNA2. RESULTS: KPNA2 was found to be over-expressed by approximately eight-fold in yolk sac tumors and immature teratomas compared to normal ovarian tissue by microarray assays. Overexpression was detected in yolk sac tumors, immature teratomas, dysgerminomas, embryonal carcinomas, mature teratomas with malignant transformation and mixed ovarian germ cell tumors at both the transcription and translation levels. A positive correlation between KPNA2 and SALL4 expression at both the transcription level (R = 0.5120, P = 0.0125), and the translation level (R = 0.6636, P
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- 2012
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49. Design of new genome- and gene-sourced primers and identification of QTL for seed oil content in a specially high-oil Brassica napus cultivar.
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Meiyu Sun, Wei Hua, Jing Liu, Shunmou Huang, Xinfa Wang, Guihua Liu, and Hanzhong Wang
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is one of most important oilseed crops in the world. There are now various rapeseed cultivars in nature that differ in their seed oil content because they vary in oil-content alleles and there are high-oil alleles among the high-oil rapeseed cultivars. For these experiments, we generated doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from the cross between the specially high-oil cultivar zy036 whose seed oil content is approximately 50% and the specially low-oil cultivar 51070 whose seed oil content is approximately 36%. First, to address the deficiency in polymorphic markers, we designed 5944 pairs of newly developed genome-sourced primers and 443 pairs of newly developed primers related to oil-content genes to complement the 2244 pairs of publicly available primers. Second, we constructed a new DH genetic linkage map using 527 molecular markers, consisting of 181 publicly available markers, 298 newly developed genome-sourced markers and 48 newly developed markers related to oil-content genes. The map contained 19 linkage groups, covering a total length of 2,265.54 cM with an average distance between markers of 4.30 cM. Third, we identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) for seed oil content using field data collected at three sites over 3 years, and found a total of 12 QTL. Of the 12 QTL associated with seed oil content identified, 9 were high-oil QTL which derived from the specially high-oil cultivar zy036. Two high-oil QTL on chromosomes A2 and C9 co-localized in two out of three trials. By QTL mapping for seed oil content, we found four candidate genes for seed oil content related to four gene markers: GSNP39, GSSR161, GIFLP106 and GIFLP046. This information will be useful for cloning functional genes correlated with seed oil content in the future.
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- 2012
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50. Discovery of pod shatter-resistant associated SNPs by deep sequencing of a representative library followed by bulk segregant analysis in rapeseed.
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Zhiyong Hu, Wei Hua, Shunmou Huang, Hongli Yang, Gaomiao Zhan, Xinfa Wang, Guihua Liu, and Hanzhong Wang
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are an important class of genetic marker for target gene mapping. As of yet, there is no rapid and effective method to identify SNPs linked with agronomic traits in rapeseed and other crop species. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We demonstrate a novel method for identifying SNP markers in rapeseed by deep sequencing a representative library and performing bulk segregant analysis. With this method, SNPs associated with rapeseed pod shatter-resistance were discovered. Firstly, a reduced representation of the rapeseed genome was used. Genomic fragments ranging from 450-550 bp were prepared from the susceptible bulk (ten F2 plants with the silique shattering resistance index, SSRI 0.90), and also Solexa sequencing-produced 90 bp reads. Approximately 50 million of these sequence reads were assembled into contigs to a depth of 20-fold coverage. Secondly, 60,396 'simple SNPs' were identified, and the statistical significance was evaluated using Fisher's exact test. There were 70 associated SNPs whose -log(10)p value over 16 were selected to be further analyzed. The distribution of these SNPs appeared a tight cluster, which consisted of 14 associated SNPs within a 396 kb region on chromosome A09. Our evidence indicates that this region contains a major quantitative trait locus (QTL). Finally, two associated SNPs from this region were mapped on a major QTL region. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: 70 associated SNPs were discovered and a major QTL for rapeseed pod shatter-resistance was found on chromosome A09 using our novel method. The associated SNP markers were used for mapping of the QTL, and may be useful for improving pod shatter-resistance in rapeseed through marker-assisted selection and map-based cloning. This approach will accelerate the discovery of major QTLs and the cloning of functional genes for important agronomic traits in rapeseed and other crop species.
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- 2012
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