The SNTB1 and ZFHX1B gene have susceptibility in northern Han Chinese populations with high myopia.

The aim of this study was to explore the association between SNTB1 and ZFHX1B polymorphisms and high myopia (HM) in a Northern Han Chinese population. This case-control study included 457 HM and 860 healthy subjects from the Northern Han Chinese population. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs7839488, rs4395927, rs4455882, and rs6469937) in SNTB1 and one SNP in ZFHX1B (rs13382811)were selected based on two previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) studies. The allele and genotype distributions of SNPs in SNTB1 and ZFHX1B were compared between the two groups using the chi-square test. The allele results were adjusted for age and sex using Plink software (Plink 1.9). Pairwise linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analyses were performed using SHEsis software. For HM subjects, the mean age was 44.80 ± 17.11 years, and for the control subjects, it was 44.41 ± 14.26 years. For rs7839488 of the SNTB1 gene, the A allele is a risk allele and the G allele is a wild allele. The A allele had no statistical significance with the HM cases and controls (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.74-1.09, aP = 0.273, Pc = NS). There was a LD in SNTB1 (rs7839488, rs4395927, rs4455882, and rs6469937). The G-C-A-G haplotype frequency was higher in HM subjects than that of the controls (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.07-1.60, P = 0.008). Meanwhile, the A-T-G-A haplotype frequency was slightly lower in the HM group (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.66-0.99, P = 0.048). In the ZFHX1B gene, the frequency of the minor T allele of rs13382811 was significant higher in the HM group than in the control group (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.11-1.61, aP = 0.001, Pc = 0.009). Furthermore, compared to the CC genotype, there were significant differences in the CT genotype (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.23-2.00, aP < 0.001, Pc = 0.002). In conclusion, G-C-A-G is a risk haplotype from the SNTB1 gene in high myopia patients. The minor T-allele of ZFHX1B rs13382811 is a risk factor for high myopia. SNTB1 and ZFHX1B are both risk genes associated with increased susceptibility to high myopia in the Northern Han Chinese population.

Extreme myopia is more susceptible to SOX2 gene than high myopia.

PURPOSE: To explore the association between two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SOX2 gene and high and extreme myopia in the Han Chinese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A genetic association study using a case-control method was performed with 139 high myopia, 318 extreme myopia, and 918 healthy participants from the Chinese Han population. Two SNPs (rs4459940 and rs4575941) near SOX2 gene were selected for genotyping. We compared the allelic frequencies and haplotypes of the SNPs to assess their association with high and extreme myopia. This study was adjusted for sex and age of participants in the groups. RESULT: The mean ages of the extreme myopia and control subjects were 47.44 ± 15.59 and 44.15 ± 14.08 years, respectively. The rs4575941 SNP of the SOX2 gene and the GG and AG genotypes showed no significant association with the risk of high myopia as opposed to the AA genotype (GG, OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.55-1.60, P = 0.820, Pc = NS; AG, OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.54-1.52, P = 0.708, Pc = NS). However, the frequency of the risk G allele of rs4575941 was significantly higher in the extreme myopia group than in the control group (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.08-1.59; P = 0.007; Pc = 0.014). Furthermore, there were significant differences in the GG genotype frequency between the extreme myopia and control groups (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.45-2.74, P = 0.009, Pc = 0.036). The A-G haplotype frequency was higher in the extreme group (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.05-1.55, P = 0.014), while there were no significant differences found in high myopia group (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.77-1.31, P = 0.979). CONCLUSION: The SOX2 rs4575941 polymorphism, in Chinese Han population, contributes to the susceptibility of extreme myopia. SOX2 may thus be implicated in extreme myopia rather than in high myopia.

Purification and characterization of lysozyme from Chinese Lueyang black-bone Silky fowl egg white.

Lysozyme, an important antibacterial protein, is an enzyme that cleaves the glycosidic bond between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetylglucosamine of peptidoglycan in cell walls. The novel lysozyme was purified and characterized from Chinese Lueyang black-bone silky fowl (CBSF) egg white, and its N-terminal amino acid sequence, enzymatic properties, and antibacterial activity were investigated. The CBSF lysozyme was purified using adsorption chromatography, ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography, and size-exclusion chromatography. The purification fold and yield were 3.28 and 14.69%, respectively. The purified lysozyme was revealed as a single protein band with SDS-PAGE and had a MALDI-TOF/TOF molecular weight of 14305.57 Da and a final specific activity of 3.49 × 105 U/mg protein using Micrococcus lysodeikticus as a substrate. The optimum temperature and pH of the lysozyme were 50 °C and 6.0, respectively. The 20 N-terminal amino acid residues of the purified lysozyme were determined to be KVFGRCELAAAMKRHGLDNY, showing some homology to the N-terminus of the odontophoridae egg white lysozyme. The purified lysozyme exerted a potent antimicrobial activity toward indicator microorganisms, including Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. However, its inhibition of gram-negative activity was weaker than that of the Gram-positive bacteria.

Pilot-scale chitin extraction from shrimp shell waste by deproteination and decalcification with bacterial enrichment cultures.

Extraction of chitin from mechanically pre-purified shrimp shells can be achieved by successive NaOH/HCl treatment, protease/HCl treatment or by environmentally friendly fermentation with proteolytic/lactic acid bacteria (LAB). For the last mentioned alternative, scale-up of shrimp shell chitin purification was investigated in 0.25 L (F1), 10 L (F2), and 300 L (F3) fermenters using an anaerobic, chitinase-deficient, proteolytic enrichment culture from ground meat for deproteination and a mixed culture of LAB from bio-yoghurt for decalcification. Protein removal in F1, F2, and F3 proceeded in parallel within 40 h at an efficiency of 89-91 %. Between 85 and 90 % of the calcit was removed from the shells by LAB in another 40 h in F1, F2, and F3. After deproteination of shrimp shells in F3, spent fermentation liquor was re-used for a next batch of 30-kg shrimp shells in F4 (300 L) which eliminated 85.5 % protein. The purity of the resulting chitin was comparable in F1, F2, F3, and F4. Viscosities of chitosan, obtained after chitin deacetylation and of chitin, prepared biologically or chemically in the laboratory, were much higher than those of commercially available chitin and chitosan.

Protective effects of chlorogenic acid against cyclophosphamide induced liver injury in mice.

We investigated possible protective effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) against cyclophosphamide (CP) induced hepatic injury in mice. We measured aminotransferase alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels in the serum. We assayed catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in hepatic tissue. We assessed expression of nuclear transcription factor 2 (Nrf2) and Kelch sample related protein-1 (keap1) proteins in hepatic tissues using immunohistochemistry. The relative mRNA expression levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NADH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Hematoxylin & eosin staining was used to assess liver histopathology. We found that administration of CGA prior to induction of injury by CP decreased serum ALT, AST and MDA expressions in hepatic tissue, while CAT, SOD, GSH and GSH-Px concentrations were increased. We found that hepatocytes of animals administered CGA gradually returned to normal morphology. CGA increased the protein expression of Nrf2 in murine hepatic tissue. Administration of CGA up-regulated mRNA expression levels of HO-1, NQO1, TNF-α and IL-6 in hepatic tissue. CGA exhibited a marked protective effect on CP induced liver injury in mice.

Transformation of the matrix structure of shrimp shells during bacterial deproteination and demineralization.

BACKGROUND: After cellulose and starch, chitin is the third-most abundant biopolymer on earth. Chitin or its deacetylated derivative chitosan is a valuable product with a number of applications. It is one of the main components of shrimp shells, a waste product of the fish industry. To obtain chitin from Penaeus monodon, wet and dried shrimp shells were deproteinated with two specifically enriched proteolytic cultures M1 and M2 and decalcified by in-situ lactic acid forming microorganisms. The viscosity of biologically processed chitin was compared with chemically processed chitin. The former was further investigated for purity, structure and elemental composition by several microscopic techniques and (13)C solid state NMR spectroscopy. RESULTS: About 95% of the protein of wet shrimp shells was removed by proteolytic enrichment culture M2 in 68 h. Subsequent decalcification by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) took 48 h. Deproteination of the same amount of dried shrimps that contained a 3 × higher solid content by the same culture was a little bit faster and was finished after 140 h. The viscosity of chitin was in the order of chemically processed chitin > bioprocessed chitin > commercially available chitin. Results revealed changes in fine structure and chemical composition of the epi-, exo- and endocuticle of chitin from shrimp shells during microbial deproteination and demineralization. From transmission electron microscopy (TEM) overlays and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analysis, it was found that most protein was present in the exocuticle, whereas most chitin was present in the endocuticle. The calcium content was higher in the endocuticle than in the exocuticle.13C solid state NMR spectra of different chitin confirmed < 3% impurities in the final product. CONCLUSIONS: Bioprocessing of shrimp shell waste resulted in a chitin with high purity. Its viscosity was higher than that of commercially available chitin but lower than that of chemically prepared chitin in our lab. Nevertheless, the biologically processed chitin is a promising alternative for less viscous commercially available chitin. Highly viscous chitin could be generated by our chemical method. Comprehensive structural analyses revealed the distribution of the protein and Ca matrix within the shrimp shell cuticle which might be helpful in developing shrimp waste processing techniques.

Activation of persulfate with magnetic Fe3O4-municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash-derived zeolite core-shell materials for tetracycline hydrochloride degradation.

A novel and environmentally friendly magnetic iron zeolite (MIZ) core-shell were successfully fabricated using municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash-derived zeolite (MWZ) coated with Fe3O4 and innovatively investigated as a heterogeneous persulfate (PS) catalyst. The morphology and structure composition of as-prepared catalysts were characterised, and it was proved that the core-shell structure of MIZ was successfully synthesised by coating Fe3O4 uniformly on the MWZ surface. The tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) degradation experiment indicate that the optimum equimolar amount of iron precursors was 3 mmol (MIZ-3). Compared with other systems, MIZ-3 possessed a superior catalytic performance, and the degradation efficiency of TCH (50 mg·L-1) in the MIZ-3/PS system reached 87.3%. The effects of reaction parameters on the catalytic activity of MIZ-3, including pH, initial concentration of TCH, temperature, the dosage of catalyst, and Na2S2O8, were assessed. The catalyst had high stability according to three recycling experiments and the leaching test of iron ions. Furthermore, the working mechanism of the MIZ-3/PS system to TCH was discussed. The electron spin resonance (ESR) results demonstrated that the reactive radicals generated in the MIZ-3/PS system were sulphate radical (SO4-∙) and hydroxyl radical (•OH). This work provided a novel strategy for TCH degradation under PS with a broad perspective on the fabrication of non-toxic and low-cost catalysts in practical wastewater treatment.

Evaluation of myopia-associated genes in a Han Chinese population with high myopia.

BACKGROUND: High myopia is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. However, the exact etiology and mechanism of high myopia remain unclear. Previous genome-wide association study has demonstrated that nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in East and Southeast Asian populations were associated with high myopia and proved that the nervous system was involved in the pathogenesis of high myopia. The present study was conducted to investigate whether these genetic variants retinal nervous system-related were associated with high myopia among Han Chinese. METHODS: Seven SNPs were genotyped by the MassARRAY iPLEX Gold method in a Han Chinese cohort with the majority from Henan region (central China), which included 361 patients with high myopia and 749 healthy controls. RESULTS: In terms of genotyped SNPs, the allele frequency of rs698047 locus of the HIVEP3 gene were statistically different between myopia and control groups initially, but the difference disappeared after Bonferroni method correction. When the genetic model analysis was performed, the rs698047 locus additive model 2 of the HIVEP3 gene was found to be different between the case and control groups in the Han Chinese population (Pc = 0. 049, OR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.14-2.36). CONCLUSIONS: There was no demonstrated association between the occurrence of high myopia in the Chinese Han population and polymorphisms in the following loci: HIVEP3 (rs698047), NFASC/CNTN2 (rs2246661), ZC3H11B (rs12032649), CNTN4/CNTN6 (rs17029206), FRMD4B (rs74633073), AKAP13 (rs72748160), and GJD2 (rs589135).

COVID-19 pandemic impact on ocular trauma in a tertiary hospital.

AIM: To analyze the impact of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the presentation and characteristics of patients hospitalized for ocular trauma in a tertiary hospital in China between 2019 and 2020. METHODS: A retrospective case study was designed to collect information on all cases of ocular trauma in a tertiary hospital from 2019 to 2020 and compare differences in inpatients' data (age, sex, admission vision acuity, type of diagnosis, hospital stays, mechanism of injury and location of injury). RESULTS: The total number of patients admitted to the Ophthalmology Department was 883 (mean 73.58±11.25 patients per month) in 2019 and 714 (59.50±17.92 patients per month) in 2020. The injury number of in work was also the most within the four types of location in this two year (42.36% in 2019, 43.84% in 2020). The mean hospital stays were 12.66d in 2019 and 10.81d in 2020. The highest incidence of ocular trauma was the middle-aged (41-65y) groups in 2019 and 2020. The most common cause of ocular trauma was sharp object in 2019 (47.34%) and 2020 (47.58%). The mechanical ocular trauma reaches 98.98% in 2019 and 99.72% in 2020. CONCLUSION: The number of patients with ocular trauma decreased in 2020, but middle-aged (41-65y) are still high incident groups. Mechanical ocular trauma remains the leading cause of hospitalization for ocular trauma patients and the proportion of patients injured at home increases. It is necessary to arouse social attention and the public's awareness of eye trauma protection should be strengthened during the pandemic.

Insm1 promotes differentiation of retinal progenitor cells toward photoreceptor cells in the developing retina through up-regulation of SHH.

This article investigated the effect of Insm1 on RPC differentiation in mice and the underlying mechanism. The retinal tissues of mouse embryo at 12.5 days (E12.5) and postnatal 14 days (P14) were collected, following by the detection of Insm1 and corresponding markers by immunofluorescent staining. RPCs isolated from retinal tissues at P1 were cultured in culture medium for 7 days. The differentiation of photoreceptor and glial cells was assessed after RPCs transferred to the differentiation medium for 20 days. Next, the effect of Insm1 overexpression on the differentiation of RPCs toward rod photoreceptor and glial cells were assessed. Insm1 was highly expressed in RPCs of retinal tissues and decline in photoreceptor cells, while hardly expressed in glial cells. Based on the results of Pax-6 positive immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometry detection, RPCs were successfully isolated from retinal tissues. After the culture in differentiation medium, RPCs showed positive staining of Rhodopsin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Further results showed that overexpression of Insm1 significantly increased the percentage of Rhodopsin positive cells, and up-regulated Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), hairy and enhancer of split homolog-1(Hes1), S-opsin and Rhodopsin levels, while decreased the percentage of Glutamine synthetase positive cells, and reduced Glutamine synthetase and GFAP levels. Whereas, the effect of Insm1 overexpression on these protein levels were partly abolished by the knockdown of SHH or Hes1. We conclude that Insm1 promotes the differentiation of RPCs into photoreceptor cells in the developing retina through up-regulation of SHH.

Antioxidant Effects of Sophora davidi (Franch.) Skeels on d-Galactose-Induced Aging Model in Mice via Activating the SIRT1/p53 Pathway.

This study investigated the protective effect of Sophora davidi (Franch.) Skeels fruits extract (SDE) on d-galactose-induced acute aging in mice. Ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with tine-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was performed to identify the composition of compounds in SDE. KM mice were divided stochastically into the normal control group (NC, saline), d-galactose (D-gal) model group, vitamin C (Vc) group (positive control), low-, medium-and high-dose SDE treat groups. After 28 days administration and fasting overnight, the serum, liver, and brain samples of mice were collected. The levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the brain, malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity in the liver and brain were measured. Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and p53 protein expression in the liver and brain, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and anti-aging factor Klotho in the liver and brain. The results showed that UPLC-Q-TOF/MS identified 78 compounds in SDE. SDE could reduce the iNOS activity in serum and AChE activity in the brain, upregulate the levels of SOD, T-AOC and GSH in liver and brain, and debase the MDA content in liver and brain. SDE could downregulate the mRNA expressions of TNF-α, NF-kB, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in the liver and brain, and elevate the mRNA expression of Klotho. SDE improved the pathological changes of the liver and brain induced by D-gal, increased the expression of SIRT1 protein in the liver and brain, and inhibited the expression of p53 protein induced by D-gal. To summarize, SDE demonstrated clear anti-aging effect, and its mechanism may be relevant to the activation of the SIRT1/p53 signal pathway.