Cloning of PmMYB6 in Pinus massoniana and an Analysis of Its Function.

Phenylpropanoids are crucial for the growth and development of plants and their interaction with the environment. As key transcriptional regulators of plant growth and development, MYB-like transcription factors play a vital role in the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoid metabolites. In this study, we functionally characterized PmMYB6, a Pinus massoniana gene that encodes an R2R3-MYB transcription factor. It was confirmed by qPCR that PmMYB6 was highly expressed in the flowers, xylem, and phloem of P. massoniana. By overexpressing PmMYB6 in tobacco and poplar, we found that transgenic plants had enlarged xylem, increased content of lignin and flavonoids, and up-regulated expression of several enzyme genes of the phenylpropane metabolism pathway to different degrees. The above research results indicate that PmMYB6 is involved in the metabolic flux distribution of different branches of the phenylpropane metabolic pathway, and the results may provide clues for the regulation of metabolic fluxes between flavonoids and the lignin biosynthesis pathways of P. massoniana, as well as provide a basis for the molecular breeding of P. massoniana.

Synthesis of hierarchical nanocrystalline ß zeolite as efficient catalyst for alkylation of benzene with benzyl alcohol.

To develop an efficient solid acid catalysts for the Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction, especially for involving bulky molecules, the direct synthesis of hierarchical nanocrystalline ß zeolites were achieved by using amphiphilic organosilane ([(CH3O)3SiC3H6N(CH3)2C18H37]Cl, TPOAC) as collaborative structure-directing agent (SDA). The growth evolution of ß crystals and the influence of TPOAC/SiO2 molar ratio on the mesoporous structure, crystal size, and acidic properties of ß zeolites were investigated and discussed in detail. The characterization results reveal that intracrystalline mesopores and intercrystalline mesopores/macropores via the stacking of ß nanocrystals were generated over the hierarchical ß zeolites. Moreover, most of the strong acid sites were well remained compared with the conventional microporous ß zeolite. Consequently, the hierarchical nanocrystalline ß zeolite synthesized under the optimized synthesis conditions shows improved specific catalytic activity of acid sites (turnover number, TON) in alkylation of benzene with benzyl alcohol, which can be attributed to the integrated balance of considerable mesoporosity, accessibility of the acid sites, and well-remained strong acid sites in the hierarchical ß zeolite.

Chondroma in the Area of the Spheno-Ethmoid Junction.

Chondroma in the area of the spheno-ethmoidal junction is very rare. A 29-year-old male patient with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps was arranged for a preoperative computed tomography scan, and a lesion was accidentally found in his spheno-ethmoidal junction and involved the skull base. Combined with MRI, the lesion was misdiagnosed as fungal sinusitis. However, no fungal lesions were found during the operation, and cartilage tissue was confirmed only after some bone was ground away under the guidance of a surgical navigation system. Our case indicates that chondroma is easily misdiagnosed as fungal sinusitis when it appears in the sinuses and should be carefully distinguished from fungal sinusitis. Moreover, when lesions involve the skull base, surgical navigation systems are useful in accurately locating lesions.

Cardiac Contractility Modulation Attenuates Chronic Heart Failure in a Rabbit Model via the PI3K/AKT Pathway.

The Akt plays an important role in regulating cardiac growth, myocardial angiogenesis, and cell death in cardiac myocytes. However, there are few studies to focus on the responses of the Akt pathway to cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) in a chronic heart failure (HF) model. In this study, the effects of CCM on the treatment of HF in a rabbit model were investigated. Thirty six-month-old rabbits were randomly separated into control, HF, and CCM groups. The rabbits in HF and CCM groups were pressure uploaded, which can cause an aortic constriction. Then, CCM was gradually injected to the myocardium of rabbits in the CCM group, and this process lasted for four weeks with six hours per day. Rabbit body weight, heart weight, and heart beating rates were recorded during the experiment. To assess the CCM impacts, rabbit myocardial histology was examined as well. Additionally, western blot analysis was employed to measure the protein levels of Akt, FOXO3, Beclin, Pi3k, mTOR, GSK-3ß, and TORC2 in the myocardial histology of rabbits. Results showed that the body and heart weight of rabbits decreased significantly after suffering HF when compared with those in the control group. However, they gradually recovered after CCM application. The CCM significantly decreased collagen volume fraction in myocardial histology of HF rabbits, indicating that CCM therapy attenuated myocardial fibrosis and collagen deposition. The levels of Akt, FOXO3, Beclin, mTOR, GSK-3ß, and TORC2 were significantly downregulated, but Pi3k concentration was greatly upregulated after CCM utilization. Based on these findings, it was concluded that CCM could elicit positive effects on HF therapy, which was potentially due to the variation in the Pi3k/Akt signaling pathway.

miRNA-103 promotes chondrocyte apoptosis by down-regulation of Sphingosine kinase-1 and ameliorates PI3K/AKT pathway in osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of miRNA-103 on chondrocyte apoptosis and molecular mechanisms in osteoarthritis (OA) progression. METHODS: The cell proliferation, apoptosis, and recovery ability were measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, and wound healing assays. The interaction of miRNA-103 and Sphingosine kinase-1 (SPHK1) were determined by using luciferase reporter assay. The expression of mRNA and proteins were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot. OA rat model was established by surgery stimulation. RESULTS: miRNA-103 expression was significantly increased in the cartilage of OA patients and surgery-induced OA rat models. miRNA-103 transfection into primary rat chondrocytes reduced SPHK1 expression, induced apoptosis, inhibited cell proliferation, and impeded scratch assay wound closure. Moreover, expression of total AKT, and p-AKT were significantly reduced in miRNA-103-overexpressing chondrocytes while SPHK1 up-regulation increased the expression of phosphatidylinsitol-3-kinase (PI3K) and p-AKT, and reversed the proliferation suppression induced by the miRNA-103 mimic. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies suggest that miRNA-103 contributes to chondrocyte apoptosis, promoting OA progression by down-regulation of PI3K/AKT pathway through the reduction in SPHK1 activity.

Key Genes and Pathways Associated With Inner Ear Malformation in SOX10  p.R109W Mutation Pigs.

SRY-box 10 (SOX10) mutation may lead to inner ear deformities. However, its molecular mechanisms on inner ear development are not clear. In this work, the inner ear morphology was investigated at different embryonic stages of the SOX10 mutation miniature porcine model with sensorineural hearing loss, and high-throughput RNA-seq and bioinformatics analyses were applied. Our results indicated that the SOX10 mutation in the miniature pigs led to an incomplete partition (IP) of the cochlea, a cystic apex caused by fusion from middle and apical turns, cochlear modiolar defects and a shortened cochlear duct. The model demonstrated 173 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 185 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The down-regulated DEGs most significantly enriched the inflammatory mediator regulation of the TRP channels, arachidonic acid metabolism, and the salivary secretion pathways, while the up-regulated DEGs most significantly enriched the systemic lupus erythematosus and alcoholism pathways. Based on gene cluster analysis, we selected four gene groups: WNT1, KCNQ4, STRC and PAX6.

Inner ear structure of miniature pigs measured by multi-planar reconstruction techniques.

To study the structures of the scala vestibuli and tympani of miniature pigs in order to evaluate the feasibility of using miniature pigs as the animal model for cochlear implant. The temporal bones of three miniature pigs with normal hearing were scanned by micro-CT. With the aid of the Mimics software, we reconstructed the 3D structure of inner ear basing on the serial images of the miniature pig, and obtained dimensions of the scala vestibuli and tympani with multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) technique. The constructed slicing images displayed the fine structures of the cochlea. The results of our study showed that the cross-sectional areas of the scala tympani were greatest at 2.67 ± 0.90 mm2 when the circumferential length from the starting point of basal turn of the cochlea reached to 1.16 mm. The scala vestibuli has a largest width and height at the starting point of basal turn. The width and the height were 2.65 ± 0.45 mm and 2.43 ± 0.2 mm respectively. The largest width and height of the scala tympani were 2.17 ± 0.30 mm and 1.83 ± 0.42 mm. The result of our study suggests that the cochlea of miniature pigs is highly consistent with human's. Miniature pigs may be used as a new model for cochlear implant. MPR technique may be used as a new approach to obtain further information of patient's cochlea in surgeons which is helpful to select suitable cochlear implant devices and surgery approach.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Inhibits Angiotensin II-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Mice.

Recent studies have demonstrated that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). However, few studies have reported the direct effect of ACE2 overexpression on the aneurysm. This study hypothesized that the overexpression of ACE2 may prevent the pathogenesis of aneurysms by decreasing RAS activation. Thirty-nine mice were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 13 in each group): the Ad.ACE2 group, the Ad.EGFP group, and a control group. After 8 weeks of treatment, abdominal aortas with AAAs were obtained for hematoxylin and eosin staining, Verhoeff Van Gieson staining, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. The incidence and severity of AAAs, macrophage infiltration, and MMP protein expression were all recorded. The results showed that ACE2 gene transfer significantly decreased the occurrence of AAAs and inhibited AAA formation in ApoE-/- mice by inhibiting the inflammatory response and MMP activation, and the mechanisms may involve decreased ERK and Ang II-nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathways.

Effects of Dual-Dose Clopidogrel, Clopidogrel Combined with Tongxinluo Capsule, and Ticagrelor on Patients with Coronary Heart Disease and CYP2C19*2 Gene Mutation After Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI).

BACKGROUND In recent years, genetic factors have attracted research interest as important predisposing factors for cardiovascular susceptibility. This study aimed to investigate the influences of dual-dose clopidogrel, clopidogrel combined with tongxinluo, and ticagrelor on the platelet activity and MACE events of patients with CYP2C19*2 gene function deficiency and poor clopidogrel response after PCI. MATERIAL AND METHODS We selected 458 patients with coronary heart disease undergoing PCI, and the genotype of CYP2C19*2 was detected by TaqMan real-time PCR. We finally enrolled 212 patients and divided them into 4 groups: a standard anti-platelet group of 46 patients, a clopidogrel double-dose group of 50 cases, a clopidogrel combined with tongxinluo group of 59 cases, and a ticagrelor group of 57. The platelet inhibition rate was detected by TEG. We analyzed and compared differences in platelet activity and the occurrence of MACE events in these 4 groups at different follow-up times. RESULTS The results showed that inhibition of platelet aggregation was better in the double-dose clopidogrel group, the clopidogrel combined with tongxinluo group, and the ticagrelor group than in the regular-dose clopidogrel group, and ticagrelor was the best. We also found that the total incidence of MACE was much lower in the double-dose clopidogrel group, the clopidogrel combined with tongxinluo group, and the ticagrelor group, while the incidence of hemorrhage in the ticagrelor group was higher. CONCLUSIONS Adjusting the dose or combining with other drugs improves the efficacy of anti-platelet therapy and reduces the incidence of ischemic events after PCI.

[Analysis on the clinical outcomes of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 3-Level questionnaire].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the applicability of EuroQol 5-Dimension 3-Level questionnaire (Chinese Version 1.0) (EQ-5D-3L) in the assessment of life quality of patients with idopathic sudden hearing loss. METHOD: In this retrospect study, the EQ-5D-3L was assigned to 60 patients with idopathic sudden hearing loss before and after drug therapy. Audiometry examinations were undertaken and concomitant symptoms were recorded. A Wilcoxon rank sum test was applicated to the comparisons of results of EQ-5D-3L before and after the treatment, a t-test for results of EQ-VAS and a Kappa measurement for the consistency of certain dimension correlated with the symptoms. RESULT: Sixty patients completed the five questions and visual analog scale of the EQ-5D. A statistically significant changes of pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression before and after the treatment were observed (P < 0.05). The domains of mobility, self-care and usual activities did not show statistically significant different (P > 0.05). The dimension of pain/discomfort was in agreement with the concomitant symptoms. And the result of EQ-VAS was in agreement with the therapeutic outcome. CONCLUSION: It is suitable for the EQ-5D to be a general health measure with sensitivity to clinical change in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss, which monitors the patients' outcomes.

Clinical analysis on surgical management of type III external auditory canal cholesteatoma: a report of 12 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate surgical management of type III EACC with lesions involving the posterior external auditory canal and mastoid. METHODS: This retrospective case review was conducted in 12 patients with type III EACC who underwent intact canal wall mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty and canal wall reconstruction with autologous cortical bone. RESULTS: During the follow-up, all patients obtained successful results on external auditory canal structures and hearing improvement, except for one patient who needed a revision operation for the fistula between the reconstructed wall and the mastoid. CONCLUSION: Intact canal wall mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty and canal wall reconstruction with autologous cortical bone was proved to be an effective and inexpensive choice for the patients with type III external auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC) to achieve optimal outcomes.

ACE2 and Ang-(1-7) protect endothelial cell function and prevent early atherosclerosis by inhibiting inflammatory response.

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a counter-regulator against ACE by converting angiotensin II (Ang-II) to Ang-(1-7), but the effect of ACE2 and Ang-(1-7) on endothelial cell function and atherosclerotic evolution is unknown. We hypothesized that ACE2 overexpression and Ang-(1-7) may protect endothelial cell function by counterregulation of angiotensin II signaling and inhibition of inflammatory response. METHODS: We used a recombinant adenovirus vector to locally overexpress ACE2 gene (Ad-ACE2) in human endothelial cells in vitro and in apoE-deficient mice in vivo. The Ang II-induced MCP-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin expression, endothelial cell migration and adhesion of human monocytic cells (U-937) to HUVECs by ACE2 gene transfer were evaluated in vitro. Accelerated atherosclerosis was studied in vivo, and atherosclerosis was induced in apoE-deficient mice which were divided randomly into four groups that received respectively a ACE2 gene transfer, Ad-ACE2, Ad-EGFP, Ad-ACE2 + A779, an Ang-(1-7) receptor antagonist, control group. After a gene transfer for 4 weeks, atherosclerotic pathology was evaluated. RESULTS: ACE2 gene transfer not only promoted HUVECs migration, inhibited adhesion of monocyte to HUVECs and decreased Ang II-induced MCP-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin protein production in vitro, but also decreased the level of MCP-1, VCAM-1 and interleukin 6 and inhibit atherosclerotic plaque evolution in vivo. Further, administration of A779 increased the level of MCP-1, VCAM-1 and interleukin 6 in vivo and led to further advancements in atherosclerotic extent. CONCLUSIONS: ACE2 and Ang-(1-7) significantly inhibit early atherosclerotic lesion formation via protection of endothelial function and inhibition of inflammatory response.

One-stage coclear implantation via a facial recess approach in children with otitis media with effusion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate surgical indications, operative techniques, complications and auditory and speech rehabilitation for cochlear implant (CI) in children with otitis media with effusion (OME). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of records of 24children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss and OME who were implanted during January 2011 to November 2014 in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the PLA Hospital, using one-stage implantation via the facial recess approach and round window insertion. The incus was removed in 8 cases during the implantation procedure. Local infiltration of dexamethasone and adrenaline in the middle ear was also performed. Postoperative complications were examined. Preoperative and postoperative questionnaires including Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP), Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR), and the Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (MAIS) were collected. RESULTS: All electrodes were implanted successfully without any immediate or delayed complications. Inflammatory changes of middle ear mucosa with effusion were noted in all implanted ears. The scores of post-implant CAP and SIR increased significantly in all 24 cases (t = -25.95 and -14.09, respectively for CAP and SIR, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: One-stage CI via the facial recess approach with round window insertion is safe and effective in cochlear implant candidates with OME, as seen in the 24 children in our study who achieved improved auditory performance and speech intelligibility after CI.

Curcumin Attenuates Angiotensin II-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm by Inhibition of Inflammatory Response and ERK Signaling Pathways.

Background and Objectives. Curcumin has long been used to treat age-related diseases, such as atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. In this study, we explored the effects of curcumin on the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Methods. ApoE(-/-) mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: AngII group, AngII + curcumin (AngII + Cur) group (100 mg/kg/d), and the control group. Miniosmotic pumps were implanted subcutaneously in ApoE(-/-) mice to deliver AngII for 28 days. After 4-week treatment, abdominal aortas with AAA were obtained for H&E staining, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. Results. The results showed that curcumin treatment significantly decreased the occurrence of AAA. The levels of macrophage infiltration, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factors-α (TNF-α) were significantly lower in AngII + Cur group than those in AngII group (all P < 0.01). The level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was significantly higher in AngII + Cur group than those in AngII group (P < 0.01). The ERK1/2 phosphorylation in AngII + Cur group was significantly lower than that in AngII group (P < 0.01). Conclusions. These results suggested that curcumin can inhibit the AngII-induced AAA in ApoE(-/-) mice, whose mechanisms include the curcumin anti-inflammation, antioxidative stress, and downregulation of ERK signaling pathway.