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MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as post-transcriptional regulators, have been reported to be involved in the initiation and progression of various types of cancer, including gastric cancer (GC). The present study aimed to investigate the role of miR-383-5p in gastric carcinogenesis. Cell viability was analyzed using CCK-8 kit. Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double staining was used to evaluate cell apoptosis. The expression levels of miR-383-5p and histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) mRNA in GC tissues and cell lines were analyzed using RT-qPCR. The protein expression of HDAC9 was detected by western blotting. We found that HDAC9 was up-regulated and miR-383-5p was down-regulated in GC tissues and cell lines. High HDAC9 expression or low miR-383-5p expression was closely related to poor prognosis and metastasis in GC patients. HDAC9 knockout or miR-383-5p mimics led to growth inhibition and increased apoptosis in AGS and SGC-7901 cells. More importantly, we validated that miR-383-5p as a post-transcriptional regulator inhibited HDAC9 expression and was inversely correlated with HDAC9 expression in GC tissues. miR-383-5p had the opposite effects to HDAC9 in gastric carcinogenesis. miR-383-5p played an important role in gastric carcinogenesis, and it is one of the important mechanisms to regulate oncogenic HDAC9 in GC, which might be helpful in the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of GC.

Objective: To assess the relationship between thyroid function and renal injury in Patients with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Method: To select 156 diagnosed HT patients as the research object, according to whether there is renal injury, they were divided into renal injury group with 21 cases and non-renal injury group with 135 cases. According to the thyroid function, they were divided into HT hyperthyroidism group (Group A) with 19 cases, normal HT thyroid function group (Group B) with 37 cases, HT subclinical hypothyroidism group (Group C) with 61 cases, and HT hypothyroidism group (Group D) with 39 cases. Besides, 40 cases of healthy check-up people are selected as the control group. ECLIA is adopted to test the thyroid function index of each group, Serum cystatin C and 24-hour urinary microalbumin were measured by immunoturbidimetry, serum creatinine was measured by creatine oxidase method, and the endogenous creatinine clearance rate was calculated. Result: TSH, TPOAb and TGAb in renal injury group were distinctly higher than those in non-renal injury group, while FT3 and FT4 were distinctly lower than those in non-renal injury group; Comparison of serum creatinine in Hashimoto groups, Group D is significantly higher than other groups, Group C is obviously higher than Group A, Group B, and the control group, Group B is obviously higher than Group A, Group A is significantly lower than other groups; Comparison of cystatin C and creatinine clearance of each group, Group D is significantly lower than other groups, Group C is obviously lower than Group A, Group B, and the control group, Group B is obviously lower than Group A, Group A is significantly higher than other groups; Comparison of 24-hour urinary microalbumin of each group, Group D is significantly higher than other groups, Group C is obviously higher than Group A, Group B, and the control group, and the differences have statistic significance (P

Kidney disease is associated with cognitive impairment in studies of nondiabetic adults. We examined the cross-sectional relation between three measures of renal function and cognitive impairment (CI) in type 2 diabetic patients. A total of 357 patients with type 2 diabetes were prospectively enrolled. There were 108 patients with CI and 249 patients without CI (control). We calculated the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) from morning spot urine and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in serum samples. Serum Cystatin C (Cys C) was measured with an automated particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay. UACR and Cystatin C levels were significantly higher in patients with CI than those without CI (P

This study aimed to observe the clinical characteristics and changes in plasma phospholipid (PL) concentrations in Parkinson's disease patients with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), and to investigate the association between these changes and cognitive function to provide a basis for early diagnosis and intervention for PD-MCI patients. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). PL, important components in cellular membranes, are critical for the maintenance of cell integrity and function. Lipid peroxidation products are significantly increased in the brains of PD patients. In the present study, plasma PL levels were significantly increased in PD-MCI patients or in PD patients with no cognitive impairment (PD-NCI) compared with controls (p

Background: To investigate the effect of creatine and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) combination therapy on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Parkinson's disease (PD; PD-MCI) and its influences on plasma phospholipid (PL) levels in PD-MCI. Methods: The demographic data of 75 PD-MCI patients who enrolled in this collaborative PD study were collected. These patients were evaluated using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). These 75 PD-MCI patients were randomly treated with creatine monohydrate 5 g b.i.d. and CoQ10 100 mg t.i.d. orally or placebo. MoCA evaluation and PL level measurements were performed after 12 and 18 months of treatment. Results: After 12 and 18 months of treatment, the differences in the MoCA scores of the combination therapy and control groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05 at 12 months and p < 0.01 at 18 months), and the plasma PL levels of the combination therapy group were significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.01 at 12 months and p < 0.001 at 18 months). Conclusions: Combination therapy with creatine and CoQ10 could delay the decline of cognitive function in PD-MCI patients and could lower their plasma PL levels; therefore, this combination therapy may have a neuroprotective function.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity inhibits root growth and limits crop yields on acid soils worldwide. However, quantitative information is scarce on protein expression profiles under Al stress in crops. In this study, we report on the identification of potential Al responsive proteins from root tips of Al sensitive BR007 and Al tolerant SC566 sorghum lines using a strategy employing iTRAQ and 2D-liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to MS/MS (2D-LC-MS/MS). A total of 771 and 329 unique proteins with abundance changes of > 1.5 or < 0.67 fold were identified in BR007 and SC566, respectively. Protein interaction and pathway analyses indicated that proteins involved in the antioxidant system were more abundant in the tolerant line than in the sensitive one after Al treatment, while opposite trends were observed for proteins involved in lignin biosynthesis. Higher levels of ROS accumulation in root tips of the sensitive line due to decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes could lead to higher lignin production and hyper-accumulation of toxic Al in cell walls. These results indicated that activities of peroxidases and the balance between production and consumption of ROS could be important for Al tolerance and lignin biosynthesis in sorghum.

Calcium has been associated with improved cold tolerance in many crops. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in leaf cell Ca 2+ distribution and cell organelle ultrastructure of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) plants in response to cold stress at -3℃, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two loquat accessions, Zaozhong 6 (a commercial cultivar) and oakleaf loquat (a wild relative) were used. Cold tolerance, as measured by leaf browning rate, was higher in oakleaf plants, and calcium treatment improved cold tolerance in both species. Cold stress first induced inward transport of Ca 2+ from the intracellular space. Then, the imported Ca 2+ was aggregated around the chloroplast membrane, finally entering the chloroplast. This pattern of Ca 2+ distribution in leaf cells occurred earlier in Zaozhong 6 than in the wild loquat. With increasing time of cold exposure, the chloroplast membranes of Zaozhong 6 leaves were damaged, blurred and even disappeared, while those of wild oakleaf loquat leaves maintained their structure longer. In Zaozhong 6, cold stress induced a clear cavity between poorly structured granal thylakoids and vesicles appearing inside the chloroplast, while in oakleaf leaves cold stress had little effect on the ultrastructure of chloroplasts (although chloroplast membranes looked blurred). Loquat leaves accumulated free calcium ions around chloroplasts in response to cold stress, with earlier calcium accumulation occurring in the cold-sensitive cultivar Zaozhong 6 than in wild oakleaf loquat. These results demonstrate that these two loquat species have differences in both cold tolerance and calcium accumulation dynamics.

Amyloid beta (Aβ ), especially Aβ oligomers, is important in early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. AD-associated inflammation has generally been considered as a secondary response to the pathological lesions evoked by Aβ oligomers in the early stage of pathogenesis. We studied the levels of plasma Aβ monomers, A β oligomers, and soluble tumor necrosis factor α receptors (sTNFRs) in 120 controls, 32 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients, and 90 mild AD patients. The plasma A β monomer, oligomer and sTNFR levels were measured by ELISA. We observed that the Aβ oligomer levels in mild AD patients were significantly higher than those in aMCI (200.8±83.8 versus 93.9±23.3, P

Recent studies have shown that kidney dysfunction is associated with cerebral microbleeds (CMB). Cystatin C is a more useful measurement than creatinine-based estimating equations for evaluating kidney function. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between cystatin C levels and CMB in patients with acute cerebral stroke. This cross-sectional study included a total of 485 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 129 patients with cerebral hemorrhage. The serum levels of cystatin C were significantly higher in acute cerebral stroke patients with CMB than in those without (p

This study was carried out to evaluate the quality of the three edible tissues (muscles, hepatopancreas and gonads) of the male and female Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) in natural harvest season, based on total volatile base nitrogen test (TVBN) and biogenic amines analysis at intervals time of 3 h extended for 24 h during 30 °C storage (a mean ambient temperature in harvest season). In addition, the relationship between the value of TVBN and storage time or main biogenic amine was evaluated. Results showed that TVBN level of female gonad reached the recommended limit (30 mg/100 g) at 3 h, and the times of reaching the recommended limit were 15 h in both sexes muscles, while in male and female hepatopancreas reached the recommended limit at times of over 24 and 24 h respectively. Moreover, putrescine was highest in amount in all biogenic amines analyzed. We suggested that TVBN value could be as a good indicator for Chinese mitten crab freshness. According to analysis for biogenic amine accumulated in edible tissues of crab, it was possible that dead crab poisoning may be caused by putrescine. Dead Chinese mitten crabs for over 24 h, should be not recommended for eating or processing.

In the current study, we examined the effects of histamine on survival and immune parameters of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. The crabs infected with the common bacteria pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila were injected with 0 µg histamine/g/crab, 1 µg histamine/g/crab, 50 µg histamine/g/crab, or 100 µg histamine/g/crab, and their survival after 96 h was recorded. The results showed that histamine alone had no influence on crab survival but can decrease survival of the crabs challenged with A. hydrophila after 36 h. In addition, the survival of the crabs injected with the high level (100 µg/g) of histamine was significantly greater than that of the lower level (50 µg/g) after 60–96 h (P < 0.05), but not different from that of the control. Immune parameters of the hemolymph in crabs, such as the total hemocyte count (THC), phenoloxidase (PO), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), were measured at 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h after histamine in...

The rapid detection of catalase-positive and catalase-negative bacteria in complex culture media has been accomplished by monitoring of hydrogen peroxide consumption or generation with a graphite-Teflon-peroxidase-ferrocene composite electrode. Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae have been used as model catalase-positive and catalase-negative bacteria, respectively. Hydrogen peroxide evolution was amperometrically measured at 0.00 V. Experimental conditions, including the working solution composition, the incubation time and the hydrogen peroxide concentration, were optimized. The reusability of the biosensor was improved by placing a nylon membrane on the bioelectrode surface to prevent fouling caused by the bacterial medium. The developed methodology allowed the detection of E. coli and S. pneumoniae at concentration levels of approximately 2x10(6) and 2x10(5) cfu/mL, in assays taking 10 and 15 min, respectively, without any pre-concentration step or pre-enrichment procedure.

Background and purpose The association between the presence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) was investigated. Methods Consecutive AD patients who underwent magnetic resonance examination with susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) were prospectively examined. The presence of CMBs on SWI was independently interpreted. The number and location of microbleeds were assessed. Demographics including age, sex and risk factors were obtained. Serum VEGF levels were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Of the 146 AD patients included, 47 (32.2%) patients had CMBs on SWI. The CMBs were most commonly located in strictly lobar locations (29/47, 61.7%). The mean VEGF levels were higher in the patients with CMBs than in those without (336.72 ± 15.18 vs. 192.37 ± 11.34 pg/ml). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that, for each 10 pg/ml increase of VEGF levels, there was a significant increase in the presence of CMBs after adjusting for age and sex, and after additional adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, silent lacunar infarction and white matter hyperintensity in patients with AD (odds ratio 2.37; 95% confidence interval 1.53−4.02, P = 0.004). Conclusion Serum VEGF levels are associated with the presence of CMBs in patients with AD.

A rapid method for the detection of fecal contamination in water based on the use of a tyrosinase composite biosensor for improved amperometric detection of beta-galactosidase activity is reported. The method relies on the detection of phenol released after the hydrolysis of phenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside (PG) by beta-galactosidase. Under the optimized PG concentration and pH (4.0) values, a detection limit of 1.2x10(-3) unit of beta-galactosidase/mL-1 was obtained. The capability of the sensor for the detection of Escherichia coli was evaluated using polymyxin B sulfate to allow permeabilization of the bacteria membrane. A detection limit of 1x10(6) cfu of E. coli mL-1 was obtained with no preconcentration or pre-enrichment steps. To improve the analytical characteristics for bacteria detection, the processes involving galactosidase induction during incubation and membrane permeabilization were optimized. Using 0.25 mM isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside for the enzyme activity induction, and 10 microg mL-1 polymyxin B sulfate as permeabilizer agent, it was possible to detect bacteria concentrations as low as 10 cfu mL-1 after 5 h of enrichment. The possibility of detecting E. coli at the required levels for drinking water quality assessment (1 cfu/100 mL) is demonstrated, the time of analysis being shorter than 6.5 h and involving a simple methodology.

The amperometric biosensing of aromatic amines using a composite glucose oxidase (GOD)-peroxidase (HRP) biosensor in reversed micelles is reported. Rigid composite pellets of graphite and Teflon, in which GOD and HRP were coimmobilized by simple physical inclusion, were employed for the biosensor design. This design allows the in situ generation of the H2O2 needed for the enzyme reaction with the aromatic amines, thus preventing the negative effect that the presence of a high H2O2 concentration in solution has on HRP activity. The H2O2 in situ generation is performed by oxidation of glucose catalyzed by GOD. The effect of the composition of the reversed micelles, i.e., the nature of the organic solvent used as the continuous phase, the nature and concentration of the surfactant used as emulsifying agent, the aqueous 0.05 mol L−1 phosphate buffer percentage used as the dispersed phase, and the glucose concentration in the aqueous phase, on the biosensor response was evaluated. Reversed micelles formed with ethyl acetate, a 5% of phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 3.0×10−3 mol L−1 glucose, and 0.1 mol L−1 AOT (sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate), were selected as working medium. Well-defined and reproducible amperometric signals at 0.00 V were obtained for p-phenylenediamine, 2-aminophenol, o-phenylenediamine, m-phenylenediamine, 1-naphthylamine, o-toluidine and aniline. The useful lifetime of one single biosensor was of 60 days. The trend in sensitivity observed for the aromatic amines is discussed considering the effect of their structure on the stabilization of the radicals formed in the enzyme reaction which are electrochemically reduced. The behavior of the composite bienzyme electrode was also evaluated in a FI (flow injection) system using reversed micelles as the carrier. The suitability of the composite bienzyme electrode for the analysis of real samples was demonstrated by determining aniline in spiked carrots.

An amperometric enzyme electrode employing horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilized on a ferrocene containing polymer electrochemically deposited onto a Pt electrode is used for the determination of hydrogen peroxide and organic peroxides. The polymer consists on a siloxane-based homopolymer with pendant dendritic wedges possessing electronically communicated ferrocenyl moieties. The steady-state amperometric response of the sensors is investigated as a function of the applied potential, substrate concentration and polymer film thickness. The effects of interferences and storage on the response were also studied. The new biosensors respond to substrates at a work potential value of −50 mV (versus SCE) and show a good linear response region and protection from interferences. Moreover, their sensitivity and detection limits are competitive with other peroxides based electrodes reported.

An insulating silicon-containing polyimide (SiDA-BDA), derived from polycondensation of bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)dimethylsilane dianhydride and benzidine, was converted into a conducting material after pyrolysis at 800–1000 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere. The maximum room temperature conductivity ( σ RT ) of about 68 S cm −1 was obtained for SiDA-BDA film pyrolyzed at 1000 °C for 1 h. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies showed that the nitrogen atoms tended to evaporate quickly at pyrolysis temperature ( T p ) higher than 800 °C while the silicon atoms tended to form silicon carbides and silicon oxycarbides as the pyrolysis temperature increased. The conducting behavior of the pyrolyzed SiDA-BDA films is in some ways typical of semiconductors while in other ways it is typical of conductors and can be described by a modified Mott’s 3D variable-range hopping (3D VRH) model.

Background Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) have been observed in the elderly and have been regarded as a manifestation of small vessel disease (SVD). Cerebral and glomerular SVD may have a common source of pathogenesis because these organs are closely connected through anatomic and hemodynamic similarities. The purpose of this study was to clarify the associations between kidney biomarker levels and CMBs in hypertensive patients. Methods The presence and number of CMBs were assessed on susceptibility-weighted imaging. We calculated the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) from morning spot urine and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in serum samples. Serum cystatin C (CysC) was measured with an automated particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay. Results UACR and CysC levels were higher in the patients with CMBs than those without, and the eGFR was lower in the patients with CMBs than those without. A logistic regression analysis indicates that eGFR and UACR were independently associated with the prevalence of deep or infratentorial CMBs. The odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) of eGFR and UACR was 1.95 (1.37-3.27) and 2.25 (1.66-4.46), respectively. CysC was independently associated with CMBs in both deep or infratentorial and lobar locations. The ORs (95% CI) were 2.59 (1.57-6.22) and 1.57 (1.15-4.85), respectively. Furthermore, CysC exhibited fair diagnostic value for CMBs, with an area under the curve of 0.80. Conclusions Kidney biomarker levels are associated with the presence of CMB in hypertensive patients without a history of transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke, independent of conventional risk factors, and CysC was a better marker for CMBs than eGFR and UACR.

The essential oils from four Eucalyptus species (E. spathulata, E. salubris, E. brockwayii and E. dundasii) have been previously confirmed to have stronger inhibitory effects on germination and seedling growth of silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.). The aqueous volatile fractions (AVFs) were the water soluble volatile fractions produced together with the essential oils (water insoluble fractions) during the steam distillation process. The aim of this study was to further assess the phytotoxicity of AVFs from the four Eucalyptus species and their chemical composition. The fresh leaves of the four Eucalyptus species were used for the extraction of AVFs. The AVFs were tested for their phytotoxic effects on the perennial weed, silverleaf nightshade under laboratory conditions. The chemical compositions of the AVFs were determined by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results showed that the AVFs had strong inhibition on the germination and seedling growth of silverleaf nightshade. The inhibition index increased with the increasing concentrations of AVFs. The inhibitory effects of the AVFs varied between different Eucalyptus species. The AVF from E. salubris demonstrated the highest inhibitory activity on the weed tested, with complete inhibition on germination and seedling growth at a concentration of 75%. The GC-MS analysis revealed that 1,8-cineole, isopentyl isovalerate, isomenthol, pinocarvone, trans-pinocarveol, alpha-terpineol and globulol were the main compounds in the AVFs. These results indicated that all AVFs tested had differential inhibition on the germination and seedling growth of silverleaf nightshade, which could be due to the joint effects of compounds present in the AVFs as these compounds were present in different quantities and ratio between Eucalyptus species.

To investigate the changes of plasma lysophosphatidic acid(LPA) or acidic phospholipids (AP) levels in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) or NVAF-associated ischemic stroke and to provide biochemistry evidence to antithrombotic therapy. The present study examined plasma LPA/AP