pathMap: a path-based mapping tool for long noisy reads with high sensitivity.

With the rapid development of single-molecule sequencing (SMS) technologies, the output read length is continuously increasing. Mapping such reads onto a reference genome is one of the most fundamental tasks in sequence analysis. Mapping sensitivity is becoming a major concern since high sensitivity can detect more aligned regions on the reference and obtain more aligned bases, which are useful for downstream analysis. In this study, we present pathMap, a novel k-mer graph-based mapper that is specifically designed for mapping SMS reads with high sensitivity. By viewing the alignment chain as a path containing as many anchors as possible in the matched k-mer graph, pathMap treats chaining as a path selection problem in the directed graph. pathMap iteratively searches the longest path in the remaining nodes; more candidate chains with high quality can be effectively detected and aligned. Compared to other state-of-the-art mapping methods such as minimap2 and Winnowmap2, experiment results on simulated and real-life datasets demonstrate that pathMap obtains the number of mapped chains at least 11.50% more than its closest competitor and increases the mapping sensitivity by 17.28% and 13.84% of bases over the next-best mapper for Pacific Biosciences and Oxford Nanopore sequencing data, respectively. In addition, pathMap is more robust to sequence errors and more sensitive to species- and strain-specific identification of pathogens using MinION reads.

invMap: a sensitive mapping tool for long noisy reads with inversion structural variants.

MOTIVATION: Longer reads produced by PacBio or Oxford Nanopore sequencers could more frequently span the breakpoints of structural variations (SVs) than shorter reads. Therefore, existing long-read mapping methods often generate wrong alignments and variant calls. Compared to deletions and insertions, inversion events are more difficult to be detected since the anchors in inversion regions are nonlinear to those in SV-free regions. To address this issue, this study presents a novel long-read mapping algorithm (named as invMap). RESULTS: For each long noisy read, invMap first locates the aligned region with a specifically designed scoring method for chaining, then checks the remaining anchors in the aligned region to discover potential inversions. We benchmark invMap on simulated datasets across different genomes and sequencing coverages, experimental results demonstrate that invMap is more accurate to locate aligned regions and call SVs for inversions than the competing methods. The real human genome sequencing dataset of NA12878 illustrates that invMap can effectively find more candidate variant calls for inversions than the competing methods. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The invMap software is available at https://github.com/zhang134/invMap.git.

A study on the application of radiomics based on cardiac MR non-enhanced cine sequence in the early diagnosis of hypertensive heart disease.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hypertensive heart disease (HHD) is high and there is currently no easy way to detect early HHD. Explore the application of radiomics using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) non-enhanced cine sequences in diagnosing HHD and latent cardiac changes caused by hypertension. METHODS: 132 patients who underwent CMR scanning were divided into groups: HHD (42), hypertension with normal cardiac structure and function (HWN) group (46), and normal control (NOR) group (44). Myocardial regions of the end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) phases of the CMR short-axis cine sequence images were segmented into regions of interest (ROI). Three feature subsets (ED, ES, and ED combined with ES) were established after radiomic least absolute shrinkage and selection operator feature selection. Nine radiomic models were built using random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and naive Bayes. Model performance was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves, and metrics like accuracy, area under the curve (AUC), precision, recall, and specificity. RESULTS: The feature subsets included first-order, shape, and texture features. SVM of ED combined with ES achieved the highest accuracy (0.833), with a macro-average AUC of 0.941. AUCs for HHD, HWN, and NOR identification were 0.967, 0.876, and 0.963, respectively. Precisions were 0.972, 0.740, and 0.826; recalls were 0.833, 0.804, and 0.863, respectively; and specificities were 0.989, 0.863, and 0.909, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Radiomics technology using CMR non-enhanced cine sequences can detect early cardiac changes due to hypertension. It holds promise for future use in screening for latent cardiac damage in early HHD.

Mapping the T cell epitopes of the M-type transmembrane phospholipase A2 receptor in primary membranous nephropathy.

The M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) is the major autoantigen of primary membranous nephropathy (MN). Despite many studies on B-cell epitopes recognized by antibodies, little is known about T-cell epitopes. Herein, we synthesized 123 linear peptides, each consisting of 15-22 amino acids with 8-12 amino acid overlaps, across ten domains of PLA2R. Their binding capacity to risk (DRB1∗1501, DRB1∗0301) and protective (DRB1∗0901, DRB1∗0701) HLA molecules was then assessed by flow cytometry. Proliferation of CD4+ T cells from patients with anti-PLA2R positive MN was analyzed after peptide stimulation. Cytokines produced by activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were measured by cytometric bead arrays. We identified 17 PLA2R peptides that bound to both DRB1∗1501 and DRB1∗0301 molecules with high capacity. Some of these peptides showed decreased binding to heterozygous DRB1∗1501/0901 and DRB1∗0301/0701. Ten of the 17 peptides (CysR1, CysR10, CysR12, FnII-3, CTLD3-9, CTLD3-10, CTLD3-11, CTLD5-2-1, CTLD7-1 and CTLD7-2) induced significant proliferation of CD4+ T cells from patients with MN than cells from healthy individuals. Upon activation by these peptides, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with MN produced higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, predominantly IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-9 and IL-17. Thus, we mapped and identified ten peptides in the CysR, FnII, CTLD3, CTLD5, and CTLD7 domains of PLA2R as potential T-cell epitopes of MN. These findings are a first step towards developing peptide-specific immunotherapies.

Regulator of G-protein signaling 14 protects the liver from ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing TGF-ß-activated kinase 1 activation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common complication of hepatectomy and liver transplantation. However, the mechanisms underlying hepatic IRI have not been fully elucidated. Regulator of G-protein signaling 14 (RGS14) is a multifunctional scaffolding protein that integrates the G-protein and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. However, the role of RGS14 in hepatic IRI remains unclear. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We found that RGS14 expression increased in mice subjected to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) surgery and during hypoxia reoxygenation in hepatocytes. We constructed global RGS14 knockout (RGS14-KO) and hepatocyte-specific RGS14 transgenic (RGS14-TG) mice to establish 70% hepatic IRI models. Histological hematoxylin and eosin staining, levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, expression of inflammatory factors, and apoptosis were used to assess liver damage and function in these models. We found that RGS14 deficiency significantly aggravated IR-induced liver injury and activated hepatic inflammatory responses and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Conversely, RGS14 overexpression exerted the opposite effect of the RGS14-deficient models. Phosphorylation of TGF-ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and its downstream effectors c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 increased in the liver tissues of RGS14-KO mice but was repressed in those of RGS14-TG mice. Furthermore, inhibition of TAK1 phosphorylation rescued the effect of RGS14 deficiency on JNK and p38 activation, thus blocking the inflammatory responses and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: RGS14 plays a protective role in hepatic IR by inhibiting activation of the TAK1-JNK/p38 signaling pathway. This may be a potential therapeutic strategy for reducing incidences of hepatic IRI in the future.

The prevalence, hospitalization outcomes and risk factors of euthyroid sick syndrome in patients with diabetic ketosis/ketoacidosis.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the prevalence of euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS) and to evaluate the outcomes and risk factors associated with ESS among hospitalized patients with diabetic ketosis (DK) or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). METHODS: Laboratory and clinical data of 396 adult hospitalized DK/DKA patients with or without ESS were collected and analyzed. Spearman linear analysis and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate correlated factors of thyroid hormones and risk factors of ESS. RESULTS: Most of the individuals were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (359/396, 90.7%). The prevalence of ESS was 57.8% (229/396). Patients in ESS group were older and had a longer course of diabetes. Levels of thyroid hormones, serum lipids, and parameters reflecting acidosis were significantly decreased in ESS group. The proportion of patients with infection, acute renal injury and DKA was significantly higher in ESS group than in control group, accompanied by longer hospitalization stay and higher hospitalization costs. Free triiodothyronine positively correlates with albumin, eGFR, parameters reflecting acidosis and lipid profiles (All P < 0.001), and negatively correlates with age, onset age, 24-h urine albumin, hsCRP and WBC count (All P < 0.001). Hypoalbuminemia, low level of carbon dioxide combining power, high level of HbA1c and WBC, and co-infection are shown to be risk factors for ESS (OR = 0.866, 0.933, 1.112, 1.146, 1.929, respectively; All P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ESS was high in adult DK/DKA patients. Patients with ESS had inferior clinical and socioeconomic outcomes. Early recognition and management of patients with ESS may be necessary to improve outcome.

An allosteric PGAM1 inhibitor effectively suppresses pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Glycolytic enzyme phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) plays a critical role in cancer metabolism by coordinating glycolysis and biosynthesis. A well-validated PGAM1 inhibitor, however, has not been reported for treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide. By uncovering the elevated PGAM1 expressions were statistically related to worse prognosis of PDAC in a cohort of 50 patients, we developed a series of allosteric PGAM1 inhibitors by structure-guided optimization. The compound KH3 significantly suppressed proliferation of various PDAC cells by down-regulating the levels of glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration in correlation with PGAM1 expression. Similar to PGAM1 depletion, KH3 dramatically hampered the canonic pathways highly involved in cancer metabolism and development. Additionally, we observed the shared expression profiles of several signature pathways at 12 h after treatment in multiple PDAC primary cells of which the matched patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models responded similarly to KH3 in the 2 wk treatment. The better responses to KH3 in PDXs were associated with higher expression of PGAM1 and longer/stronger suppressions of cancer metabolic pathways. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a strategy of targeting cancer metabolism by PGAM1 inhibition in PDAC. Also, this work provided "proof of concept" for the potential application of metabolic treatment in clinical practice.

Sleep quality and mental health status of healthcare professionals during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

To investigate the sleep quality and mental health status of healthcare professionals during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in order to promote timely intervention and treatment. An Questionnaire Star of WeChat online survey was conducted at Hwamei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NingBo, China. The questionnaire consisted of two parts including sociodemographic characteristics, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, a depression screening scale (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) so as to investigate the sleep quality and mental health status of healthcare professionals during the outbreak of COVID-19.The data were analyzed with the t-test, χ2 test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean score of PSQI is 5.8 ± 3.7 and the incidence of sleep disorders was 28.8% among the healthcare professionals and was related to occupation, title, education level, role and some underlying diseases. The positive rates for anxiety and depression among the healthcare professionals were 33.2% and 39.4% according to the GAD-7 and PHQ-9. Mental health status was related to occupation, education level, role and some underlying diseases. During the COVID-19 outbreak, sleep quality was significantly correlated with anxiety and depression among the healthcare professionals. The incidences of sleep disorder, anxiety and depression among healthcare professionals have been high. Furthermore, these disorders are interrelated and require timely intervention and treatment.

Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Cellulase Extraction from Nymphaea hybrid Flower and Biological Activities: Antioxidant Activity, Protective Effect against ROS Oxidative Damage in HaCaT Cells and Inhibition of Melanin Production in B16 Cells.

In this study, ultrasonic-assisted cellulase extraction (UCE) was applied to extract flavonoids and polyphenols from the Nymphaea hybrid flower. The extraction conditions were optimized using the response surface method (RSM) coupled with a Box-Behnken design. The crude extract of Nymphaea hybrid (NHE) was further purified using AB-8 macroporous resins, and the purified extract (NHEP) was characterized by FTIR and HPLC. In vitro activity determination by chemical method showed that NHEP displayed strong free radical scavenging abilities against the DPPH and ABTS radicals, good reduction power, and hyaluronidase inhibition. The cell viability by CCK-8 assays showed that NHEP had no significant cytotoxicity for B16 and HaCaT cells when the concentration was below 100 µg/mL and 120 µg/mL, respectively. NHEP with a concentration of 20-160 µg/mL can more effectively reduce the ROS level in H2O2 damaged HaCaT cells compared with 10 µg/mL of VC. The 40 µg/mL of NHEP had similar activity against intracellular melanin production in the B16 melanoma cells compared with 20 µg/mL Kojic acid. Good activities of antioxidation, whitening and protective effect against H2O2-induced oxidative damage promote the potential for NHEP as a functional raw material in the field of cosmetics and medicine.

Correlation between single-nucleotide polymorphisms and statin-induced myopathy: a mixed-effects model meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and risk of statin-induced myopathy (SIM). METHODS: We retrieved the studies published on SIM until April 2019 from the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. We collected data from 32 studies that analyzed 10 SNPs in five genes and included 21,692 individuals and nine statins. RESULTS: The analysis of the heterozygous (p = 0.017), homozygous (p = 0.002), dominant (p = 0.005), and recessive models (p = 0.009) of SLCO1B1 rs4149056 showed that this SNP increases the risk of SIM. Conversely, heterozygous (p = 0.048) and dominant models (p = 0.030) of SLCO1B1 rs4363657 demonstrated that this SNP is associated with a reduced risk of SIM. Moreover, an increased risk of SIM was predicted for carriers of the rs4149056 C allele among simvastatin-treated patients, whereas carriers of the GATM rs9806699 A allele among rosuvastatin-treated patients had a lower risk of SIM. CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis revealed that the rs4149056 and rs4363657 SNPs in SLCO1B1 and the rs9806699 SNP in GATM are correlated with the risk of SIM.

Acanthopanax henryi: Review of Botany, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology.

Acanthopanax henryi (Oliv.) Harms (Araliaceae), also known as Eleutherococcus henryi and Caoyewujia (Hengliwujia) in Chinese, is a widely used traditional Chinese herb with the effects of expelling wind and removing dampness, relaxing the muscles and stimulating the blood circulation, and regulating the flow of qi to alleviate pain in the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acanthopanax henryi (AH, thereafter) possesses ginseng-like activities and is known as ginseng-like herb. In the past decade, a great number of phytochemical and pharmacological studies on AH have been carried out. Several kinds of chemical compositions have been reported, including terpenoids (monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, and triterpenoid saponins), phenylpropanoids, caffeoyl quinic acid derivatives, flavonoids, lignans, sterols, fatty acids, etc., among which, triterpenoid saponins were considered to be the most active components. Considerable pharmacological experiments in vitro have demonstrated that AH possessed anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-adipogenic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer, anti-oxidation, anti-AChE, anti-BuChE, and antihyaluronidase activities. The present review is an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the botany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of AH.

Effects of 26 Recombinant CYP3A4 Variants on Brexpiprazole Metabolism.

As a new atypical antipsychotic, brexpiprazole is primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). However, genetic polymorphisms in CYP3A4 cause wide variability in individuals' responses to brexpiprazole, leading to unpredictable adverse side effects or even therapeutic failure. The present study was designed to systematically study the effects of 26 recombinant CYP3A4 variants on the metabolism of brexpiprazole and investigate their enzymatic activity. Wild-type CYP3A4 and the 26 variants were incubated with the substrate brexpiprazole for 30 min at 37 °C. The metabolite DM-3411 was detected using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The activity of the wild-type CYP3A4 and 26 of its variants was analyzed. Then, the mechanism underlying the changes in enzyme function was observed using molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking. Compared with CYP3A4.1, the enzymatic activities of CYP3A4.19, -.24, and -.28 were not significantly different (from 91.82% to 96.25%), but CYP3A4.14 and CYP3A4.15 exhibited higher enzyme activity (from 117.9 to 127.5%). The remaining 21 isoforms, including CYP3A4.2, -.3, -.4, -.5, -.7, -.8, -.9, -.10, -.11, -.12, -.13, -.16, -.17, -.18, -.20, -.23, -.29, -.31, -.32, -.33 and -.34, displayed lower enzymatic activities (from 2.90% to 75.72%). The results obtained from computer modeling indicated that weak binding affinity impaired the function of CYP3A4.32. Mutations that occur around the active site might lead to a loss of enzymatic activity, while the variants located far away from the active site perhaps had little effect on function of CYP3A4. These comprehensive data provide a reference and prediction for treatment strategies and risk assessments of brexpiprazole.

The interaction of lncRNA EZR-AS1 with SMYD3 maintains overexpression of EZR in ESCC cells.

EZR, a member of the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family, is involved in multiple aspects of cell migration and cancer. SMYD3, a histone H3-lysine 4 (H3-K4)-specific methyltransferase, regulates EZR gene transcription, but the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic regulation remain ill-defined. Here, we show that antisense lncRNA EZR-AS1 was positively correlated with EZR expression in both human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and cell lines. Both in vivo and in vitro studies revealed that EZR-AS1 promoted cell migration through up-regulation of EZR expression. Mechanistically, antisense lncRNA EZR-AS1 formed a complex with RNA polymerase II to activate the transcription of EZR. Moreover, EZR-AS1 could recruit SMYD3 to a binding site, present in a GC-rich region downstream of the EZR promoter, causing the binding of SMYD3 and local enrichment of H3K4me3. Finally, the interaction of EZR-AS1 with SMYD3 further enhanced EZR transcription and expression. Our findings suggest that antisense lncRNA EZR-AS1, as a member of an RNA polymerase complex and through enhanced SMYD3-dependent H3K4 methylation, plays an important role in enhancing transcription of the EZR gene to promote the mobility and invasiveness of human cancer cells.

Associations between human leukocyte antigen polymorphisms and hypersensitivity to antiretroviral therapy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles are implicated in drug-induced hypersensitivity, including by nevirapine and abacavir. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between HLA polymorphisms and hypersensitivity to antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for studies that evaluated the associations of HLA polymorphisms with antiretroviral therapy-induced hypersensitivity published in April 2019. The summary odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were considered as estimates of the effect. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 17 studies that assessed a total of 4273 patients. First, carriers of HLA-A *24 were associated with an increased risk of hypersensitivity among patients with HIV who received antiretroviral therapy (OR: 12.12; P = 0.018). Second, five SNPs of HLA-B genotypes, including *18 (OR: 1.63; P = 0.028), *35 (OR: 2.31; P = 0.002), *39 (OR: 11.85; P = 0.040), *51 (OR: 1.66; P = 0.028), and *81 (OR: 8.11; P = 0.021), were associated with an increased risk of hypersensitivity. Conversely, carriers of HLA-B *15 were associated with a reduced risk of hypersensitivity (OR: 0.43; P < 0.001). Third, HLA-C *04 was associated with an increased risk of hypersensitivity (OR: 3.09; P < 0.001), whereas a lower risk for hypersensitivity was observed in patients who were carriers of HLA-C *02 (OR: 0.22; P = 0.030), *03 (OR: 0.53; P = 0.049), and *07 (OR: 0.61; P = 0.044). Finally, carriers of HLA-DRB1 *05 (OR: 0.18; P = 0.006) and *15 (OR: 0.23; P = 0.013) were associated with a reduced risk of hypersensitivity among patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this meta-analysis indicated patients carrying HLA-A *24, HLA-B *18, *35, *39, *51, *81, HLA-C *04 were associated with a higher risk of hypersensitivity. Conversely, subjects carrying HLA-B *15, HLA-C *02, *03, *07, HLA-DRB1 *05, *15 were associated with a reduced risk of hypersensitivity.

Association between SLCO1B1 T521C polymorphism and risk of statin-induced myopathy: a meta-analysis.

Numerous studies have illustrated the relationship between SLCO1B1 T521C polymorphism and statin-induced myopathy risk; however, this association is not consistent. Three electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library) were searched from inception to October 2017 to identify potential studies. The summary odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated from different genetic models by using a random-effects model. Fourteen studies comprising 3265 myopathy patients and 7743 controls were included. The summary ORs suggested that 521CC (OR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.15-4.63; P = 0.019), 521TC (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.02-1.76; P = 0.034), and 521CC + TC (OR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.32-2.51; P < 0.001) were associated with a greater risk of statin-induced myopathy than 521TT. The higher incidence of statin-induced myopathy was found to be significantly correlated with the C allele compared with the T allele (OR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.36-2.62; P < 0.001). In addition, we observed that 521CC + TC was associated with an increased risk of myopathy in individuals who received simvastatin (OR: 2.35; 95% CI: 1.08-5.12; P = 0.032) or rosuvastatin (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.07-2.67; P = 0.024) when compared with 521TT. The 521C allele was associated with a greater risk of cerivastatin-induced myopathy than the T allele (OR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.47-2.57; P < 0.001). The findings of this study indicated that SLCO1B1 T521C was associated with a significantly higher risk of statin-induced myopathy, especially for simvastatin, rosuvastatin, and cerivastatin. Future studies should be conducted in subjects receiving specific types of drugs, and any potential adverse events need to be explored.

Clinical implications of pathological features of primary membranous nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: The clinical outcome varies considerably in primary membranous nephropathy (pMN). Risk factors for kidney prognosis include ageing, male gender, persistent heavy proteinuria, decreased eGFR at presentation, persistent elevation of anti-PLA2R antibodies, no remission, and so on. It was controversial whether the histopathological features of pMN could predict treatment response and kidney outcome. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in 371 patients with biopsy-proven pMN. Pathological parameters included immunofluorescence staining, membranous Churg's stages, sclerosis, crescent, focal segmental sclerosis lesion, chronic and acute tubulointerstitial injury. The fluorescence intensity was determined: 0, negative; 1, weak; 2, moderate; 3, strong; 4, glaring. Chronic tubulointerstitial injury was graded by the involved area: 0, 0-5%; 1, 6-25%; 2, 26-50%; 3, > 50%. RESULTS: We found that patients with higher intensity of C3 staining, advanced membranous stage, and more severe chronic tubulointerstitial injury presented with higher positivity rate of anti-PLA2R antibodies, higher levels of urinary protein excretion and serum creatinine, and lower level of serum albumin. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that severe (grade = 3) chronic tubulointerstitial injury was a risk factor to the kidney outcome of ESKD (HR = 61.02, 95%CI, 7.75-480.57, P < 0.001) and over 50% reduction of eGFR (HR = 4.43, 95%CI, 1.26-15.6, P = 0.021). Multivariate analysis demonstrated it as an independent risk factor to ESKD (HR = 25.77, 95% CI, 1.27-523.91, P = 0.035). None of the pathological parameters exerted any influence on treatment response (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found the prognostic role of chronic tubulointerstitial injury to the kidney outcome of pMN. This study highlighted the value of kidney biopsy under the widespread usage of anti-PLA2R antibodies for diagnosis and prognosis.

[Effect of puerarin on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and accompanying pulmonary fibrosi].

To investigate the effect and regulatory mechanism of puerarin on pulmonary arterial hypertension due to hypoxia and the possible accompanying pulmonary fibrosis, The rat model of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and the rat model of hypoxia were established. Totally 18 clean-grade SD rats were fed and randomly divided into normal control group, model group and hypoxia+medicine group. Each group received intraperitoneal injection 30 min before modeling every day; hypoxia+medicine group was injected with 20 mg·kg⁻¹ puerarin. Normal control group and model group were injected with the equal volume of 0.9% NaCl solution. Normal control group was cultured under normal conditions in the laboratory, while model group and hypoxia+medicine group were cultured in ahypoxia environment for 21 days to observe rat hypoxic characteristics and make the preliminary judgment about modeling. Afterwards, small animal echocardiography, right cardiac catheterization, HE dyeing and other experiments were used to verify the successful modeling, and puerarin has a therapeutic effect in pulmonary hypertension caused by hypoxia in SD rats. Fluorescence quantitative PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence method were used to detect the changes caused by hypoxia pulmonary fibrosis-associated protein. It was found that puerarin could be given in anoxia to promote the expressions of CD31, VE-cadherin, inhibit the expressions of α-SMA, vimentin and fibronection, namely the inhibition of vascular wall thickening. Puerarin has the therapeutic effect on the pulmonary hypertension and accompanying pulmonary fibrosis in rats induced by hypoxia.

[Teaching research of Molecular Pharmacognosy for talent development in industry of Chinese medicinal materials under new situation].

The industry of Chinese medicinal materials is going through another high-level development stage with some important files issued by Chinese government in the past months, such as "the protection and development plans of Chinese medicinal materials (2015-2020)" and "the strategic development plans of Chinese medicine (2016-2030)". In addition, the effect of "TU Youyou" will not only improve the industry development, but also indicates the increasing international competition intensely. Therefore, one of the core problems of the sustainable-development industry is the training of senior talents under the "New Situation" with opportunity and intense competition. As one of the forefront courses of Chinese Pharmacology, Molecular Pharmacognosy (MP) is a new interdisciplinary science, which integrates the pharmacognosy and molecular biology, and combines many discipline theories and technological systems. MP not only inherits the traditional concepts,but also makes up for the shortages of pharmacognosy, and improves the development of pharmacognosy. Thus, these are importance of MP for cultivation of senior talents, and also the difficult teaching points of MP with no unified teaching mode. We will, in this paper, discuss the possible teaching modes through several aspects for talent cultivation and meeting the needs of social and industry development, such as teaching state of MP, the education of undergraduate and graduate students, social identity, and self renewal of curriculum theories and practice.

[Taurine affects expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 by p38 pathway in hypoxic endothelial cells].

To investigate the effect of taurine(Tau) on ICAM-1, VCAM-1 by p-p38 pathway in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells(PAECs) and explore its mechanism of action. Generation 4-12 cells in primary cultures of PAECs were used in experiments and divided into five groups： control group, hypoxia(hyp) group, inhibitor(SB203580) group, treatment(Tau) group, and treatment+inhibitor(SB+Tau) group. The concentration of Tau：100 mmol•L⁻¹; p38 inhibitor SB203580： 20 µmol•L⁻¹; and the treatment time was 12 h. MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of different concentrations of Tau on PAECs. Western blot and Real-time PCR method were used to detect the p38 pathway proteins and ICAM-1, VCAM-1 expression levels. Immunofluorescence was used to investigate p38 nuclear displacement situation. The results of MTT showed that the inhibitory effect was gradually increased with increasing concentrations of Tau. Western blot and RT-PCR revealed that the protein and mRNA expression levels of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 were reduced by Tau. Western blot and immunofluorescence showed Tau can inhibit p38 activation. Tau may decrease the expression levels of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in endothelial cells induced by hypoxia through MAPK p38 pathway.