[Establishment and evaluation of a rat model of diabetes comorbid depression and its expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the brain].

OBJECTIVE: To establish and evaluate a rat model of diabetes comorbid depression, and observe alterations in expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in several cerebral regions. METHODS: Eighteen Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups, the control group (group CON, n=6), the diabetes mellitus group (group DM, n=6), and the diabetes comorbid depression group (group DD, n=6). Rats of group DM and group DD were injected intraperitoneally with STZ (64 mg/kg), the control rats received sham injections of citrate buffer alone. Group DD was then exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress for 28 days. All rats were submitted to the open-field test and Morris water maze test immediately after the CUMS procedure. After brain tissue collection, the expression of GFAP in bilateral frontal cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus were measured by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Rats of group DD and group DM exhibited classic diabetic signs of weight loss, hyperphagia, polydipia, gloomy hair and increasing urine and stool, group DD showed mental fatigue and slow response.The STZ-treated groups showed high blood glucose level (>33.3 mol/L) compared to the control group throughout the study. Group DD ((176± 11), (157±8), (154± 12)g)and group DM ((176±10), (161±8), (160±13)g)showed decline on body weight, whereas group CON ((245±14), (276±21), (314±25)g)showed continuously elevated body weight 0, 14, 28 days after CUMS.In behavioral tests, group DD ((4.1±3.1), (115±73), (26±13))showed reduced total traveling distance, activity time and times of locomotion compared to group CON ((9.3±3.2), (200±53), (40±11), P<0.05). Throughout the probe trial of Morris water maze test, group DD and group DM ((0.5±0.5), (0.5±0.6))performed less times of crossing the former platform area compared to group CON ((2.6±2.2), P<0.05). The mean optical density (MOD) of GFAP positive cells in frontal cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus of group DD ((0.18±0.03), (0.19±0.02), (0.21±0.02)) were decreased compared with group DM ((0.26±0.03), (0.27±0.03), (0.30±0.04), P<0.01), but increased compared with group CON ((0.13±0.04), (0.15±0.02), (0.16±0.03), P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Combination of intraperitoneally STZ injection and proper CUMS procedure can successfully build a rat model of diabetes comorbid depression. The expression of GFAP in bilateral frontal cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus of group DD is significant different form group DM and group CON, which is helpful for understanding the pathogenesis of diabetes comorbid depression.

Study on the function and mechanism of long non-coding RNA DMTF1v4 in the occurrence of colon cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) DMTF1v4 in colon cancer, and the relationship between its expression and disease occurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human colon cancer tissues and para-carcinoma tissues were harvested. The expression of lncRNA DMTF1v4 was measured by semi-quantitative PCR. The expression of DMTF1v4 in HT-29 colon cancer cells was downregulated using siRNA, and the effect of its downregulation on cell growth was determined by MTT assay and plate clone assay. The effect of DMTF1v4 downregulation on colon cancer cell migration was determined using a transwell assay and scratch wound assay. The effect of DMTF1v4 on colon cancer cell apoptosis was determined using Annexin V/PI double-staining. The changes in p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-p38 were measured by Western blot. HT-29 cells with downregulated DMTF1v4 expression were used to establish the subcutaneous heterotopic transplantation tumor model in nude mice to study the effect of DMTF1v4 on tumor growth in animals. RESULTS: Compared with para-carcinoma tissue, lncRNA DMTF1v4 in colon cancer tissue was highly expressed (p<0.001). Downregulating lncRNA DMTF1v4 in HT-29 cells showed that lncRNA DMTF1v4 promotes cell proliferation and migration, and suppresses apoptosis (p<0.05). The effect of lncRNA DMTF1v4 on the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway was evaluated. The expression of p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-p38 was increased significantly compared with the control group (p<0.01). The effect of downregulating DMTF1v4 on tumor growth in animals showed that tumor growth in nude mice was decreased, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was increased (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of lncRNA DMTF1v4 is elevated in colon cancer tissues; lncRNA DMTF1v4 promotes colon cancer cell proliferation and migration, and inhibits apoptosis by downregulating the expression of p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-p38, thus affecting the progression of colon cancer. This will provide a basis for the development of new clinical treatments for colon cancer.

Three-dimensional honeycomb-like porous carbon derived from corncob for the removal of heavy metals from water by capacitive deionization.

In this study, porous carbon (3DHPC) with a 3D honeycomb-like structure was synthesized from waste biomass corncob via hydrothermal carbonization coupled with KOH activation and investigated as a capacitive deionization (CDI) electrode material. The obtained 3DHPC possesses a hierarchal macroporous and mesoporous structure, and a large accessible specific surface area (952 m2 g-1). Electrochemical tests showed that the 3DHPC electrode exhibited a specific capacitance of 452 F g-1 and good electric conductivity. Moreover, the feasibility of electrosorptive removal of chromium(vi) from an aqueous solution using the 3DHPC electrode was demonstrated. When 1.0 V was applied to a solution containing 30 mg L-1 chromium(vi), the 3DHPC electrode exhibited a higher removal efficiency of 91.58% compared with that in the open circuit condition. This enhanced adsorption results from the improved affinity between chromium(vi) and the electrode under electrochemical assistance involving a non-faradic process. Consequently, the 3DHPC electrode with typical double-layer capacitor behavior is demonstrated to be a favorable electrode material for capacitive deionization.

Mesenchymal stem cell-based FGF2 gene therapy for acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide in mice.

OBJECTIVE: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can serve as a vehicle for gene therapy. FGF2 (basic fibroblast growth factor) is a multifunctional growth factor and exhibits diverse function in different cell types, it also has pleiotropic effects in different tissues and organs, including potent angiogenic effects and an important role in the differentiation and function of the central nervous system. We hypothesized that MSC-based FGF2 gene therapy might be a potential therapeutic approach for lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MSCs were isolated from 6 week-old inbred male mice and transduced with the FGF2 gene, using a lentivirus vector. RESULTS: In the in vivo mouse model, the LPS-induced lung injury was markedly alleviated in the group treated with MSCs carrying FGF2 (MSCs-FGF2), compared with groups treated with MSCs alone. The histopathological index of LPS-induced lung injury was improved after MSCs-based FGF2 gene treatment. The MSCs-FGF2 administration also reduced the level of inflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that MSCs and FGF2 have a synergistic role in the treatment of LPS-induced lung injury.

Newly identified respiratory viruses associated with acute lower respiratory tract infections in children in Lanzou, China, from 2006 to 2009.

Nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from 813 children ≤ 14 years old with acute lower respiratory tract infections in Lanzhou, China, from December 2006 to November 2009. PCR or RT-PCR was used to screen for the presence of 10 respiratory viruses. Viral agents were identified in 73.92% (601/813) of specimens, including RSV in 40.71%, hMPV in 6.15%, IFVA in 7.13%, IFVB in 0.98%, PIV1-3 in 7.87%, HCoV-HKU1 in 2.21%, HCoV-NL63 in 3.81%, HRV in 19.93%, AdV in 7.50% and HBoV in 11.56%. Two or more viruses were detected in 34.44% (280/813) of cases. The newly identified respiratory viruses, HBoV, hMPV, HCoV-HKU1 and HCoV-NL63, accounted for 22.01% of the detected viral pathogens. RSV and HRV were frequently detected in patients with bronchiolitis, and hMPV was frequently associated with pneumonia. HCoV-NL63 was found to be one of the causative agents of acute respiratory wheezing in young children. No seasonal variation was found in the incidence of detection of HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-NL63 or HBoV. This 3-year study demonstrated that viral pathogens play an important role in children with ALRTIs, and more attention should be paid to these newly identified viral agents.