Down-regulated TINAGL1 in fibroblasts impairs wound healing in diabetes.

Matricellular proteins, a group of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, are key regulators of skin repair and their dysregulation impairs wound healing in diabetes. Tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen like 1 (TINAGL1) is a new member of matricellular protein family, and the understanding of its functional role is still relatively limited. In the current study, we detected the expression of TINAGL1 in diabetic skin wound tissues through RT-PCR, ELISA and Western blot analysis, investigated the contribution of TINAGL1 to wound healing through cutaneous administration of recombinant TINAGL1 protein, and characterized its regulation by hyperglycemia through RNA-seq and signal pathway inhibition assay. We showed that TINAGL1 expression has dynamic change and reaching a peak on day-9 after wound during the wound healing process in wild-type (WT) mice. Interestingly, decreased TINAGL1 expression is detected in skin tissues of diabetic patients and mice after wound. Then, we found that high glucose (HG), an important factor that impairs wound healing, reduces the expression of TINAGL1 in fibroblasts through JNK pathway. Notably, the histology analysis, Masson trichrome assay and IHC assay showed that exogenous TINAGL1 promotes wound healing in diabetic mice by accelerating the formation of granulation tissues. Our study provides evidence that TINAGL1 has an essential role in diabetic wound healing, and meanwhile, indicates that manipulation of TINAGL1 might be a possible therapeutic approach.

Effects of crop straw biochars on aluminum species in soil solution as related with the growth and yield of canola (Brassica napus L.) in an acidic Ultisol under field condition.

The toxicity of aluminum (Al) to plants in acidic soils depends on the Al species in soil solution. The effects of crop straw biochars on Al species in the soil solution, and canola growth and yield were investigated in this study. In a long-term field experiment, there were four treatments, which were a control, rice straw biochar (RSB), canola straw biochar (CSB), and peanut straw biochar (PSB). The soil solution was collected in situ, the Al species were identified, and the relationships between the concentration of phytotoxic Al and canola growth and yield were evaluated. The results showed that applying the three biochars resulted in significant decreases in the concentrations of total Al, monomeric Al, and monomeric inorganic Al (P < 0.05). The Al3+, Al-OH, and Al-SO4 proportions of the total Al also decreased. The abilities of the different biochars to reduce dissolved Al followed the order PSB > CSB > RSB, which was consistent with the alkalinity of these biochars. Application of the biochars significantly decreased the concentration of phytotoxic Al (Al3+ + Al-OH), which improved canola growth and increased the canola seed and straw yields. Plant height, leaf number per plant, area per leaf, chlorophyll content, and canola yield were negatively correlated with the Al3+ + Al-OH concentrations. Therefore, the results showed that crop straw biochars can be used to ameliorate soil acidity and alleviate Al toxicity in acidic soils, and that peanut straw biochar is the best amendment for acidic soils.

Magnetic surface molecularly imprinted poly(3-aminophenylboronic acid) for selective capture and determination of diethylstilbestrol.

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is considered a representative example of an exogenous endocrine disrupting compound (EDC). It can retard development in infants, lead to serious metabolic regulation disorders, and even result in distortion and cancer in the reproductive system. Therefore, achieving rapid and accurate analysis of trace amounts of DES in complex environments is of great importance to human health and for environmental protection. Novel magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with excellent molecular recognition ability and super water-compatibility were developed for the selective capture of DES in water samples. Fe3O4@SiO2 magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and used as support cores. Molecularly imprinted poly(3-aminophenylboronic acid) (poly(APBA)), synthesized on magnetic cores based on a surface-imprinting strategy, can preferentially bind DES molecules in water samples. The magnetic core-shell MIPs (denoted as Fe3O4@SiO2@APBA/MIPs) exhibited high binding capacity and favorable recognition specificity for DES in water. The adsorption kinetics and experimental isotherm data of DES on magnetic MIPs can be well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm, respectively. The imprinted nanoparticles were subjected to magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of DES from water samples. The DES content in the samples was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The peak area increased linearly with increasing DES concentration over the range 0.08-150 µg L-1, with a detection limit of 0.03 µg L-1. The recoveries for spiked lake water samples were in the range 97.1-103.2%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.8-4.3% (n = 6).

11C-CHO PET in optimization of target volume delineation and treatment regimens in postoperative radiotherapy for brain gliomas.

OBJECTIVE: We explored the clinical values of (11)C-choline ((11)C-CHO) PET in optimization of target volume delineation and treatment regimens in postoperative radiotherapy for brain gliomas. METHODS: Sixteen patients with the pathological confirmation of the diagnosis of gliomas prior to receiving radiotherapy (postoperative) were included, and on whom both MRI and CHO PET scans were performed at the same position for comparison of residual tumors with the two techniques. (11)C-CHO was used as the tracer in the PET scan. A plain T1-weighted, T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging scans were performed in the MRI scan sequence. The gliomas' residual tumor volume was defined as the area with CHO-PET high-affinity uptake and metabolism (V(CHO)) and one with MRI T1-weighted imaging high signal intensity (V(Gd)), and was determined by a group of experienced professionals and clinicians. RESULTS: (1) In CHO-PET images, the tumor target volume, i.e., the highly metabolic area with a high concentration of isotopes (SUV 1.016-4.21) and the corresponding contralateral normal brain tissues (SUV0.1-0.62), was well contrasted, and the boundary between lesions and surrounding normal brain tissues was better defined compared with MRI and (18)F-FDG PET images. (2) For patients with brain gliomas of WHO Grade II, the SUV was 1.016-2.5; for those with WHO Grades III and IV, SUVs were >26-4.2. (3) Both CHO PET and MRI were positive for 10 patients and negative for 2 patients. The residual tumor consistency between these two studies was 75%. Four of the 10 CHO-PET-positive patients were negative on MRI scans. The maximum distance between V(Gd) and V(CHO) margins was 1.8 cm. (4) The gross tumor volumes (GTVs) and the ensuing treatment regimens were changed for 31.3% (5/16) of patients based on the CHO-PET high-affinity uptake and metabolism, in which the change rate was 80% (4/5), 14.3 % (1/7) and 0% (0/4) for patients with WHO Grade II III, and IV gliomas, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that difference exists between CHO PET and MRI by which to judge and identify residual tumor for patients with brain gliomas. CHO PET is considered to be a supplementary diagnostic approach for MRI. Biological tumor target volume (BTV) displayed in the CHO PET images is useful in determining or delineating the radiotherapy target volume and making decisions in selecting treatment regimens. Tumor target volume may be defined more accurately and rationally when the CHO PET is combined with MRI.

[Study on reduced folate carrier gene (RFC1) polymorphism in the southern and northern Chinese population].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the distribution of reduced folate carrier gene (RFC1)genotype and allele frequency between southern and northern, female and male Chinese population. METHOD: RFC1 (A80G) genotype was detected, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP-PCR) on 720 blood spot DNA from the normal subjects. RESULTS: The frequencies of the northern population with AA, GG and GA genotypes were 22.28%, 31.09% and 46.63%, and the frequencies of the southern population were 18.56%, 22.75% and 58.68%, respectively. Findings showed that there were significant differences between southerners and northerners in RFC1 (A80G) genotype (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between G allele frequency of the northern (52.10%) and southern population (54.40%). The frequencies of male with RFC1 (A80G) AA, GG and GA genotype were 24.88%, 25.85% and 49.27%, and among female were 18.83%, 27.77% and 53.40%, respectively. There were no significant differences between male and female in RFC1 genotype (P > 0.05), or between G allele frequency in female (50.49%) and that in male (54.47%). CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of RFC1 genotype seemed to be consistent with neural tube defects (NTDs) while its prevalence among the northerners was higher than that of southerners, with female having a higher NTDs prevalence. This study provided genetic epidemiological data for etiological hypothesis between RFC1 and diseases relative to folate metabolism.