Mining Anti-Inflammation Molecules From Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-Derived Products Through the Metabolomics Approach.

Hookworm is one type of soil-transmitted helminth, which could exert an anti-inflammatory effect in human or animal host, which provides a beneficial possibility for the discovery of inflammatory-related disease interventions. The identification of hookworm-derived anti-inflammatory molecules is urgently needed for future translational research. The emergence of metabolomics has become a powerful approach to comprehensively characterize metabolic alterations in recent times. Herein, excretory and secretory products (ESPs) were collected from cultured adult worm, while small intestinal contents were obtained from Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (N. brasiliensis, Nb)-infected mice. Through ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) platform, metabolomics analysis was used to explore the identification of anti-inflammatory molecules. Out of 45 differential metabolites that were discovered from ESPs, 10 of them showed potential anti-inflammatory properties, which could be subclassed into amino acids, furanocoumarins, linear diarylheptanoids, gamma butyrolactones, and alpha-keto acids. In terms of intestinal contents that were derived from N. brasiliensis-infected mice, 14 out of 301 differential metabolites were discovered to demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects, with possible subclassification into amino acids, benzylisoquinolines, quaternary ammonium salts, pyrimidines, pregnane steroids, purines, biphenyls, and glycerophosphocholines. Furthermore, nine of the differential metabolites appeared both in ESPs and infected intestinal contents, wherein four were proven to show anti-inflammation properties, namely, L-glutamine, glutamine (Gln), pyruvate, and alanine-Gln (Ala-Gln). In summary, we have provided a method for the identification and analysis of parasite-derived molecules with potential anti-inflammatory properties in the present study. This array of anti-inflammatory metabolites could provide clues for future evaluation and translational study of these anti-inflammatory molecules.

Proteomic landscape of human coronary artery atherosclerosis.

In order to investigate novel biomarkers for the detection of coronary artery disease for effective therapeutic targets, a comprehensive understanding of the protein networks and protein expression abundance in coronary artery samples is required. This was established by means of liquid chromatography (LC)­mass spectrometry (MS)/MS analysis in the present study. A total of 20 human coronary artery specimens from 2 autopsied adults were employed in the present study. The natural history and histological classification of the atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary artery samples were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and the human coronary arterial proteome and proteomics features were characterized by MS analysis. The present study identified 2,135 proteins in the 20 coronary artery segments samples from the 2 cases. Combined with the results of H&E staining of the coronary artery samples, a total of 174 proteins, including 4 upregulated proteins and 164 downregulated proteins (excluding 6 proteins with inconsistent expression tendencies), were shown to be associated with coronary artery disease. In addition, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment of the differentially expressed proteins revealed that the mitochondrial energy metabolism may be responsible for the occurrence and development of coronary artery atherosclerosis. The human coronary arterial proteome can be considered as a complex network whose architectural characteristics vary considerably as a function of the presence or absence, and histological classification of coronary artery atherosclerosis. These data thus suggest that the prevention of mitochondrial dysfunction via the retrieval of the mitochondrial associated proteins expression may be a promising target in coronary artery disease.

Epidemiological investigation of sudden cardiac death in multiethnic Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region in Northwest China.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiological characteristics of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the autonomous region of Xinjiang Uygur have been largely unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and demographic risk factors of SCD in Xinjiang, China. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed medical records from 11 regions in Xinjiang with different geography (north and south of the Tian Shan mountain range), gross domestic product, and ethnicity (Han, Uyghur, Kazakh, and Hui). SCD was defined as unexpected death due to cardiac reasons within 1 hour after the onset of acute symptoms, including sudden death, unexpected death, and nonviolent death. Monitoring was conducted throughout 2015. Demographic and mortality data were recorded and age-adjusted standardized risk ratio (SRR) was analyzed. RESULTS: Among 3,224,103 residents, there were 13,308 all-cause deaths and 1244 events of SCD (784 men and 460 women; overall incidence 38.6 per 100,000 residents). SCD was associated with age (χ2 = 2105.3), but not geography. Men had an increased risk of SCD compared with women (SRR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.10-2.79). The risk of SCD was highest in residents of the Uyghur (SRR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.05-2.42) and Kazakh (SRR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.29-2.87) compared with those of the Han. Poor economic development was associated with elevated risk of SCD (SRR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.02-2.38). CONCLUSION: SCD is an important public health issue in China. Our understanding of the demographic differences on SCD in Xinjiang, China may improve the risk stratification and management to reduce the incidence and lethality of SCD.