MicroRNAs: protective regulators for neuron growth and development.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important regulatory role in neuronal growth and development. Different miRNAs target different genes to protect neurons in different ways, such as by avoiding apoptosis, preventing degeneration mediated by conditional mediators, preventing neuronal loss, weakening certain neurotoxic mechanisms, avoiding damage to neurons, and reducing inflammatory damage to them. The high expression of miRNAs in the brain has significantly facilitated their development as protective targets for therapy, including neuroprotection and neuronal recovery. miRNA is indispensable to the growth and development of neurons, and in turn, is beneficial for the development of the brain and checking the progression of various diseases of the nervous system. It can thus be used as an important therapeutic target for models of various diseases. This review provides an introduction to the protective effects of miRNA on neurons in case of different diseases or damage models, and then provides reference values and reflections on the relevant treatments for the benefit of future research in the area.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte subset levels differ in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

We investigated the levels of target lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood lymphocyte samples from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 715 high-risk patients with primary HCC were recruited in Guangxi, China as the case group. The control group included 100 patients who received health examinations at the same hospital during the same period. Fasting elbow venous blood (10 mL) was collected from each participant, and flow cytometry was used to detect the levels of NK cells and CD3+, CD4+ and CD19+ T cells in peripheral blood samples. All included patients with prmary HCC were treated by surgical resection, and followed up for one year. The levels of CD19+ and NK cells were lower in cases than in controls (both P < 0.05). In addition, the level of CD8+ cells was greater in the case group than in the control group (P < 0.05). In the high-HCC-risk population, CD8+, CD19+ and NK cell levels all differed between male and female patients, patients in TNM stages I-II and stages III-IV, patients with and without extrahepatic metastasis, and patients with and without HBV infection (all P < 0.05). After follow-up, detected recurrence and survival rate was 33.71% and 83.64%, respectively. CD8+ levels was reduced following surgical resection, whereas the levels of CD19+ and NK cells were increased (all P < 0.05). In conclusion, altered levels of CD8+, CD19+ and NK cell levels may be used as reference values for monitoring immune function in certain populations with high HCC risk, and as potential evidence for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

Effect of cultivars, Fusarium strains and storage temperature on trichothecenes production in inoculated potato tubers.

Four trichothecenes (Fus-X, 3ADON, DAS and T-2) were detected in potato tubers inoculated with Fusarium spp. by UPLC-MS/MS. The influence of cultivars, Fusarium strains and storage temperature on trichothecenes production was evaluated. The concentration of trichothecenecs was much higher in susceptible cultivar (Longshu No. 3) than in resistant one (Longshu No. 6). The susceptible cultivar infected with Fusarium sulphureum had the maximum concentration of Fus-X, 3ADON and DAS. Among the three Fusarium strains, Fusarium solani had the strongest ability to produce T-2 in both susceptible and resistant cultivars. Room temperature storage was more likely to accumulate trichothecenes than low temperature storage. Meanwhile, the trichothecenes were found not only in the lesion but also in the adjacent asymptomatic tissue. Trichothecenes concentration showed a strong trend of decline with increase in distance from the infection point.

[Changes in expression levels of PV, GAD67 and KCC2 in the brain tissue of rats with schizophrenia induced by MK-801].

OBJECTIVE: To study changes in the expression levels of parvalbumin (PV), glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) and K+-Cl- cotransporter 2 (KCC2) in the brain tissue of rats with schizophrenia (SZ) induced by dizocilpine (MK-801), and to investigate the mechanism involving gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by which NMDA receptor blocker induces SZ in the perinatal period. METHODS: Thirty-six neonatal male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two batches on postnatal day 6. Each batch was divided into normal control (treated by 0.9% normal saline), SZ-development model (treated by subcutaneous injection of 0.1 mg/kg MK-801 on postnatal days 7-10; bid), and SZ-chronic medication model groups (treated by intraperitoneal injection of 0.2 mg/kg MK-801 on postnatal days 47-60; qd). On postnatal day 63, the brain tissue of the first batch of rats was obtained and then fixed with paraform for histological sections; expression levels of PV and GAD67 in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus CA1 were measured by immunohistochemistry. Simultaneously, the second batch of rats was sacrificed and the mPFC and hippocampus were obtained and homogenized; expression levels of KCC2 in the mPFC and hippocampus were measured by Western blot. RESULTS: Expression levels of PV and GAD67 in the mPFC and hippocampus CA1 were significantly lower in the SZ-development and chronic medication model groups than in the normal control group (P<0.05). Expression levels of KCC2 in the mPFC and hippocampus were significantly lower in the SZ-development model group than in the SZ-chronic medication model and normal control groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression changes of PV and GAD67 in SZ can be simulated using the SZ development model induced by MK-801, which might affect the development of the GABA system in the PFC and hippocampus by downregulating KCC2 expression.

[The subpopulation CD4(+); CD25(+); Foxp3(+);/CD127(low/-); regulatory T cells in peripheral blood of HIV-infected patients correlated with disease progression].

AIM: To explore the subpopulation of CD4(+); CD25(+); Foxp3(+); regulatory T cells (Treg), CD4(+); CD25(+); CD127(low/-); Treg in peripheral blood of HIV-infected patients and study its correlation with other immune indicators. METHODS: We enrolled 68 cases of HIV/AIDS patients without anti-HIV treatment [29 cases of long-term non-progressive (LTNP) group, 27 cases of typical progressive HIV infection group and 12 cases of AIDS group] and 20 healthy individuals as a control group. Blood samples of these cases were analyzed by flow cytometry after immunofluorescent staining to determine the levels of CD4(+); T cells, CD8(+); T cells, NK cells and CD4(+); CD25(+); Foxp3(+);/CD127(low/-); Treg. RESULTS: Except CD8(+); T cells, the levels of CD4(+); T, NK cells and CD4(+);/CD8(+); in peripheral blood of HIV/AIDS patients were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05); With the progression of disease, the percentage and absolute count of CD4(+);T cells, the absolute counts of CD8(+);T cells and NK cells, and CD4(+);/CD8(+); T cell ratio in the LTNP group, HIV group and AIDS group decreased gradually, while the percentage of CD8(+);T cells increased gradually. Our multiple comparison analysis revealed that the percentages of CD4(+); CD25(+); Foxp3(+); Treg and CD4(+); CD25(+); CD127(low/-); Treg in CD4(+); T cells were significantly different among groups (P<0.05). With the progression of disease, the percentages of CD4(+); CD25(+); Foxp3(+); Treg and CD4(+); CD25(+); CD127(low/-); Treg increased gradually; in addition, the difference in the absolute count of CD4(+); CD25(+); Foxp3(+);/CD127(low/-); Treg was not statistically significant between LTNP group and healthy control group(P>0.05), so was between HIV and AIDS groups (P>0.05); no significant difference was found in every other two groups (P<0.05); the absolute count of CD4(+); CD25(+); Foxp3(+);/CD127(low/-); Treg decreased gradually. CONCLUSION: CD4(+); CD25(+); Foxp3(+);/CD127(low/-); Treg may play a role in the immunopathogenesis of persistent HIV infection.

Treatment of Parkinson disease with C17.2 neural stem cells overexpressing NURR1 with a recombined republic-deficit adenovirus containing the NURR1 gene.

To study the potential benefit of the NURR1 gene in Parkinson's disease (PD), we constructed a recombinant republic-deficit adenovirus containing the NURR1 gene (Ad-NURR1) and expressed it in transplanted neural stem cells (NSC). Ad-NURR1 was constructed, and NURR1 mRNA and protein expression were identified by in situ hybridization and western blot analysis, respectively. The identified NURR1 protein could directly or indirectly induce NSC differentiation into neurons. To identify a potential therapeutic use for the transfected NSCs, cells were transplanted into 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats. Histopathological and behavioral alterations were evaluated via immunohistochemistry and the ration test, respectively, in rats transplanted with NSCs with or without the Ad-NURR1 adenovirus. The Ad-NURR1 construct effectively expressed the NURR1 protein, which could directly or indirectly induce NSC differentiation into neurons. Both histopathological and behavioral alterations were seen in rats treated with NSCs with or without the Ad-NURR1 construct, although in the case of the latter, the benefits were more robust. These results suggest a potential therapeutic benefit for Ad-NURR1-expressing cells in the treatment of PD. The Ad-NURR1 modification induced NSC differentiation and therefore represents a potential therapy for PD.