First Report of Diaporthe hongkongensis Causing Leaf Blight on Macadamia in China.

Macadamia (Macadamia ternifolia Maiden and Betche) belongs to the Proteaceae family (Li et al. 2022). In the hilly areas of Guangxi (southern China), macadamia trees are an important source of revenue. The planting area in Guangxi has increased in recent years, exceeding 53,333 hectares by the end of 2022, but this increase is also associated with emergency of, macadamia diseases. Leaf blight symptoms were observed in 37/241 macadamia trees (15% incidence) in a plantation in Nanning, Guangxi province in China, during June, 2022. Disease severity on infected trees ranged from 5% to 60%. The disease developed from the tips or margins of leaves, causing the leaves to turn brown, and later gradually withered (Fig. 1 A). Ten leaves with lesions were collected from five macadamia trees (two leaves per tree. Thereafter, small segments (3 to 4 mm²) excised from the margins of ten lesions were surface sterilized in 75% ethanol for 30 s and 1% hypochlorite for 90 s and Page 1 of 6 2 rinsed in sterile water, before plating onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. Plates were incubated under lighting during the daytime, and darkness at night-time for 5 days at 25℃. Twenty-two purified colonies were generated by subculturing hyphal tips, of which eight exhibited similar morphology and were further characterized. The colonies on PDA were gray with a white outer ring and flat lawn on the surface (Fig. 1 B). The pycnidia were superficial to semi-immersed on PDA, solitary to aggregated, globose to sub-globose, brown to black and oozed yellow mucilaginous masses (Fig.1 C). The α-conidia were unicellular, hyaline elliptical or fusiform, and measuring 4-8 × 1.9-4 µm (n=30) ， whereas the ß-conidia were hyaline, long, straight or curved, measuring 20-23 × 0.9-2 µm (n=30) (Fig. 1 D-E). The morphological features were similar to Diaporthe hongkongensis (Dissanayake et al. 2015). The eight morphologically similar isolates were identified as D. hongkongensis using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, but only one isolate, JG11, was selected for further molecular identification. Five target genes, including the ITS region, translation elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1-α), beta-tubulin genes (TUB2), calmodulin (CAL), and histone H3 (HIS) were amplified and sequenced using primers ITS1/ITS4, EF1-728F/EF1-986R, Bt2a/Bt2b, CAL-228F/CAL-737R, and CYLH3F/H3-1b, respectively (Carbone and Kohn 1999). The sequences were deposited in GenBank under accession numbers OQ932790 (ITS) and OR147955-58 for EF1-α, TUB, CAL and HIS genes, respectively. BLAST search of GenBank showed that ITS, EF1-α, TUB, CAL, and HIS sequences of JG11 were similar to Page 2 of 6 3 those of D. hongkongensis NR111848 (99.22% identity), KY433566 (99.72%), MW208603 (99.42%), MW221740 (99.80%), and MW221661 (99.79%), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences was performed with IQ-TREE software. JG11 was grouped in the same clade as other Diaporthe hongkongensis isolates (Fig. 2). Pathogenicity experiments were carried out on healthy macadamia trees in a greenhouse. Three macadamia trees were used as negative controls where five uninjured leaves per tree were sprayed with sterile distilled water. Uninjured five leaves per tree of three other macadamia trees were sprayed with conidia suspension of the isolate JG11 at a concentration of 1×106. Each treatment was repeated 3 times independently, with 5 leaves per tree (Liu et al. 2023; Havill et al. 2023; Zhang et al. 2022). Plastic bags were placed over all inoculated leaves. The average daily temperature and relative humidity in the greenhouse were 32°C and 65%, respectively. Two days later, browning appeared on the leaves inoculated with the spore suspension and expanded outward. After 5 days, all macadamia leaves inoculated with the fungal spores began to wither, while controls remained asymptomatic (Fig. 1 H-I). D. hongkongensis was consistently re-isolated and purified from inoculated leaves and the identity was confirmed by morphological identification and molecular analysis, completed Koch's postulates. D. hongkongensis has been reported on peach (Zhang et al. 2021), grapevine trunk (Dissanayake et al. 2015) and Cunninghamia lanceolata (Liao et al. 2022). To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. hongkongensis causing leaf blight on macadamia in China. These findings provide a foundation for future research on the epidemiology and control of this newly emerging disease of macadamia.

Crenobacter intestini sp. nov., Isolated from the Intestinal Tract of Konosirus punctatus.

A novel Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain GY 70310T, was isolated from the intestinal tract of Konosirus punctatus collected from Minjiang River, China. Cells of the strain were rod-shaped and motile with a single polar flagellum. The result of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that strain GY 70310T was moderately related to Crenobacter luteus YIM 78141T (94.7%), Paludibacterium paludis KBP-21T (93.8%) and Crenobacter cavernae K1W11S-77T (93.0%). The draft genome of strain GY 70310T consisted of 3.4 Mbp with DNA G+C content of 66.3 mol%, which possessed genes putatively encoding nitrate reductase, nitrite oxidoreductase and urease. The novel strain showed a whole genome average nucleotide identity (OrthoANI) value of 77.1% and a digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value of 22.4% with Crenobacter luteus DSM 27258T, followed by Crenobacter cavernae K1W11S-77T with OrthoANI and dDDH values of 76.4% and 20.6%, respectively. The major fatty acids (>10%) were identified as summed feature 3 (C16:1ω6c and/or iso-C15:0 2-OH, C16:1ω7c), C16:0 and C18:1ω7c. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). The polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified lipid and one unidentified phospholipid. On the basis of phylogenetic analyses, genotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain GY 70310T represents a novel species of the genus Crenobacter, for which the name Crenobacter intestini sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is GY 70310T (= CGMCC 1.16821T = KCTC 62945T = NBRC 113900T).

Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Adipose Tissue Vasculature Alters the Particulate Secretome and Induces Endothelial Dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: Endothelial cells (EC) in obese adipose tissue (AT) are exposed to a chronic proinflammatory environment that may induce a mesenchymal-like phenotype and altered function. The objective of this study was to establish whether endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) is present in human AT in obesity and to investigate the effect of such transition on endothelial function and the endothelial particulate secretome represented by extracellular vesicles (EV). Approach and Results: We identified EndoMT in obese human AT depots by immunohistochemical co-localization of CD31 or vWF and α-SMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin). We showed that AT EC exposed in vitro to TGF-ß (tumor growth factor-ß), TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α), and IFN-γ (interferon-γ) undergo EndoMT with progressive loss of endothelial markers. The phenotypic change results in failure to maintain a tight barrier in culture, increased migration, and reduced angiogenesis. EndoMT also reduced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and glycolytic capacity of EC. EVs produced by EC that underwent EndoMT dramatically reduced angiogenic capacity of the recipient naïve ECs without affecting their migration or proliferation. Proteomic analysis of EV produced by EC in the proinflammatory conditions showed presence of several pro-inflammatory and immune proteins along with an enrichment in angiogenic receptors. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the presence of EndoMT in human AT in obesity. EndoMT in vitro resulted in production of EV that transferred some of the functional and metabolic features to recipient naïve EC. This result suggests that functional and molecular features of EC that underwent EndoMT in vivo can be disseminated in a paracrine or endocrine fashion and may induce endothelial dysfunction in distant vascular beds.

Falsibacillus albus sp. nov., isolated from mangrove soil.

A novel Gram-stain-positive, catalase- and oxidase-positive, endospore-forming bacterium, designated GY 10110T, was isolated from mangrove soil collected from Qinzhou, Guangxi province, China. Cells were aerobic, motile with peritrichous flagella and rod-shaped. The strain grew at 15-37 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at 0-3 %(w/v) NaCl (1 %) and at pH 6.0-9.0 (pH 7.0). The major fatty acids of strain GY 10110T were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The predominant menaquinone was MK-7. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The polar lipid profile comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphoglycolipid, glycolipid, two unidentified aminophospholipids and three unidentified phospholipids. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain GY 10110T was closely related to Falsibacillus pallidus CCTCC AB 207188T (98.0 % sequence similarity) and Bacillus oceanisediminis CGMCC 1.10115T (96.9 %), respectively. The G+C content of strain GY 10110T based on the whole genome sequence was 42.3 mol%. The novel strain showed an average nucleotide identity (ANI) value of 77.8 % and a digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value of 15.6 % with Falsibacillus pallidus CCTCC AB 207188T based on draft genome sequences, followed by Bacillus oceanisediminis CGMCC 1.10115T with ANI and dDDH values of 75.2 and 12.8 %, respectively. The results of the polyphasic taxonomic study, including phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analysis, showed that strain GY 10110T represents a novel species of the genus Falsibacillus, for which the name Falsibacillus albus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GY 10110T (=CGMCC 1.13648T=NBRC 113502T).

Ottowia flava sp. nov., isolated from fish intestines.

A novel Gram-negative bacterium, non-motile and short rod-shaped, designated strain GY511T, was isolated from the intestines of fish collected from Maowei Sea, China. Growth occurred at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum 7.0), 4-37 °C (optimum 28 °C) and at 0-2.5% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 1.0%). The result of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain GY511T is closely related to O. oryzae NBRC 113109T (97.6%), O. konkukae DSM 105395T (97.4%), Ottowia beijingensis CGMCC 1.12324T (95.9%), Ottowia pentelensis DSM 21699T (95.2%) and Ottowia thiooxydans DSM 14619T (95.0%). The DNA-DNA hybridization values of strain GY511T with O. oryzae NBRC 113109T and O. konkukae DSM 105395T were 35.4 ± 3.1% and 26.3 ± 1.8%, respectively. The major fatty acids (> 10%) were identified as summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c and/or C16:1ω6c), C16:0 and summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c) and the major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). The polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, two unidentified aminolipids and an unidentified phospholipid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 62.9 mol%. Thiosulfate could be utilized as co-substrate for aerobic growth and was oxidised to sulfate. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular data, strain GY511T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Ottowia, for which the name Ottowia flava sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GY511T (= NBRC 113500T = DSM 107425T = CGMCC 1.13650T).

Effects of a home care mobile app on the outcomes of discharged patients with a stoma: A randomised controlled trial.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of a home care mobile app on the outcomes of stoma patients who discharged from hospital. BACKGROUND: Patients with a newly formed stoma experience many difficulties after surgery. Mobile application (app) has the potential to help patients self-manage their diseases and adjust to the changes in their lives and is a convenient way to ensure the continuity of care. However, there is a lack of studies about the effects of a mobile app on the transitional care for improving discharged stoma-related health outcomes. DESIGN: A randomised controlled trial. METHODS: A total of 203 patients with a permanent stoma in tertiary hospitals in China were randomly assigned into two groups. Patients in the control group (n = 103) received routine discharge care. Patients in the intervention group (n = 100) received home care via a mobile app besides routine care. The psychosocial adjustment level, self-efficacy scale and stoma complications incidence were measured in the follow-up period and compared between the two groups. Data were collected at four time points: before intervention (baseline), at 1, 3 and 6 months after discharge. RESULTS: The psychosocial adjustment level and stoma self-efficacy score of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group, respectively, at 1-, 3- and 6-month follow-up (all p < 0.05). The incidence of stoma complications in the intervention group was tending to reduce at 1, 3 and 6 months after discharge. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that follow-up care at home via a mobile app can effectively improve the psychosocial adjustment level, self-efficacy scale and other related outcomes of stoma patients. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The home care mobile app is an effective intervention to support the psychosocial adjustment and self-efficacy of stoma patients after discharge. It ensures the continuity of care and provides nursing guidance for the patients timely.

Simultaneous quantification of imatinib and its main metabolite N-demethyl-imatinib in human plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application to therapeutic drug monitoring in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

The aim of this study was to improve and validate a more stable and less time-consuming method based on liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC- MS/MS) for the quantitative measurement of imatinib and its metabolite N-demethyl-imatinib (NDI) in human plasma. Separation of analytes was performed on a Waters XTerra RP18 column (50 × 2.1 mm i.d., 3.5 µm) with a mobile phase consisting of methanol-acetonitrile-water (65:20:15, v/v/v) with 0.05% formic acid at a flow-rate of 0.2 mL/min. The Quattro MicroTM triple quadruple mass spectrometer was operated in the multiple-reaction-monitoring mode via positive electrospray ionization interface using the transitions m/z 494.0 → 394.0 for imatinib, m/z 479.6 → 394.0 for NDI and m/z 488.2 → 394.0 for IS. The method was linear over 0.01-10 µg/mL for imatinib and NDI. The intra- and inter-day precisions were all <15% in terms of relative standard deviation, and the accuracy was within ±15% in terms of relative error for both imatinib and NDI. The lower limit of quantification was identifiable and reproducible at 10 ng/mL. The method was sensitive, specific and less time-consuming and it was successfully applied in gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients treated with imatinib.

Sulfuration of the C(sp(2))-H bond of enaminones: a protocol for the synthesis of thioether using elemental sulfur as a sulfurating reagent.

Sulfuration reaction of the C(sp(2))-H bond of enaminones with elemental sulfur in the presence of CuBr/K3PO4 was carried out. It provided an efficient method for the synthesis of thioethers in moderate to good yields. The protocol was also applicable to synthesize selenides when selenium powder was used instead of sulfur powder.

Synthesis, biological evaluation and 3D-QSAR study of novel 4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole thiazole derivatives as BRAF(V6°°E) inhibitors.

Many reports implied that the BRAF serine/threonine kinase was mutated in various types of human tumors, which were related with cell growth, survival and differentiation. To provide new therapeutic opportunities, a series of novel 4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole derivatives (6a-10d) containing thiazole moiety as potential V600E mutant BRAF kinase (BRAF(V600E)) inhibitors were designed and synthesized. All compounds were evaluated in vitro for anticancer activities against WM266.4 human melanoma cell line and breast cancer MCF-7 cell line. Compound 10d displayed the most potential antiproliferative activity with an IC50 value of 0.12µM against cell line WM266.4 and 0.16µM against MCF-7 with positive control Sorafenib. Results of the inhibitory activity against BRAF(V600E) revealed that compound 10d was bearing the best bioactivity with IC50 of 0.05µM as well. On the basis of the result of flow cytometry, with the dose of compound 10d increasing, more and more cancer cell gradually encountered apoptosis or died, which indicated the compound 10d could induce remarkable apoptosis of MCF-7 and WM266.4 cells in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, docking simulation of inhibitor analogues and 3D-QSAR modeling provided potential binding model and further knowledge of pharmacophore.

Isolation and characterization of a new bioactive isoflavone from Derris eriocarpa.

Derris eriocarpa How is an important medicinal plant, which is used as Zhuang ethnomedicine and Dai ethnomedicine to treat various diseases. One new compound, 3',4'-di-O-methylene-5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-6-isopentenyl isoflavone (1) and a known synthetic but new naturally occurring compound trans-3,4,5-trimethoxy-4'-isopentenyloxyl-stilbene (2), together with five known compounds, 5,7-dimethoxy-6-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-4'-hydroxyl isoflavones (3), robustone (4), trans-3,4,5,4'-tetramethoxy-stilbene (5), robustic acid (6), and robustin (7) were isolated from the stem of D. eriocarpa. Spectroscopic analysis revealed the chemical structures of compounds 1-7.. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited significant scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and superoxide anions. Compounds 1-3 exhibited potent antiproliferative activity on Hela cells.

DCE-MRI assessment of the effect of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein-1 targeted DNAzyme on tumor vasculature in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: EBV-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (EBV-LMP1) is an important oncogenic protein for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and has been shown to engage a plethora of signaling pathways. Correspondingly, an LMP1-targeted DNAzyme was found to inhibit the growth of NPC cells both in vivo and in vitro by suppressing cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. However, it remains unknown whether an LMP1-targeted DNAzyme would affect the vasculature of NPC. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) has been applied in the clinical trials of anti-angiogenic drugs for more than ten years, and Ktrans has been recommended as a primary endpoint. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to use DCE-MRI to longitudinally study the effect of an EBV-LMP1-targeted DNAzyme on the vasculature of patients with NPC. METHODS: Twenty-four patients were randomly divided into two groups: a combined treatment group (radiotherapy + LMP1-targeted DNAzyme) and a radiotherapy alone group (radiotherapy + normal saline). DCE-MRI scans were conducted 1 ~ 2 days before radiotherapy (Pre-RT), during radiotherapy (RT 50 Gy), upon completion of radiotherapy (RT 70 Gy), and three months after radiotherapy (3 months post-RT). Parameters of vascular permeability and intra- and extravascular volumes were subsequently obtained (e.g., Ktrans, kep, ve) using nordicICE software. RESULTS: Both Ktrans and kep values for NPC tumor tissues decreased for both groups after treatment. Moreover, a statistically significant difference in Ktrans values at the pre-therapy and post-therapy timepoints emerged earlier for the combined treatment group (RT 50 Gy, P =0.045) compared to the radiotherapy alone group (3 months post-RT, P = 0.032). For the kep values, the downward trend observed for both the combined treatment group and the radiotherapy alone group were similar. In contrast, ve values for all of the tumor tissues increased following therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The EBV-LMP1-targeted DNAzyme that was tested was found to accelerate the decline of Ktrans values for patients with NPC. Correspondingly, the LMP1-targeted DNAzyme treatments were found to affect the angiogenesis and microvascular permeability of NPC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01449942. Registered 6 October 2011.

Dominance of the inactive Asian variant over activity and protein contents of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 in human liver.

BACKGROUND: It has been well documented that a variant allele of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), ALDH2*2, commonly occurs in East Asians but rarely in other ethnic populations. This unique allelic variation significantly influences drinking behavior and susceptibility to development of alcoholism. Previous structural, functional, and cellular studies indicate that the resulting variant polypeptide subunit K (Lys-487) exerts dominance of null activity and shorter half-life over the tetrameric enzyme molecules in distinct manners. However, the in vivo evidence for the proposed dominance mechanisms remains lacking. METHODS: To address this question, we investigated 33 surgical liver samples identified to be normal homozygous ALDH2*1/*1 (n = 17), heterozygous ALDH2*1/*2 (n = 13), and variant homozygous ALDH2*2/*2 (n = 3). The ALDH2 activity was determined at a sufficient low acetaldehyde concentration (3 µM) and the isozyme protein amount by immunotitration using purified class-specific antibodies. RESULTS: The tissue ALDH2 activity in heterozygotes was 17% that of the ALDH2*1/*1 genotype (p < 0.001), whereas the activity of ALDH2*2/*2 was too low to be precisely determined. The protein amounts of tissue ALDH2 in variant homozygotes and heterozygotes were similar but only 30 to 40% that of normal homozygotes (p < 0.01). Linear regression analyses show that ALDH2 activities were significantly correlated with the protein contents in normal homozygotes and heterozygotes, respectively (p < 0.005). The specific activity of ALDH2 per enzyme protein in ALDH2*1/*2 was 38% that of ALDH2*1/*1 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results are in good agreement with those predicted by the model studies, thus providing in vivo evidence for differential impairments of hepatic acetaldehyde oxidation with alcohol metabolism in individuals carrying ALDH2*1/*2 and ALDH2*2/*2 genotypes.

Preparation, characterization, and application of gallic acid-mediated photodynamic chitosan-nanocellulose-based films.

In this study, an active film composed of gallic acid (GA), chitosan (CS), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) was prepared using a solution casting method and synergistic photodynamic inactivation (PDI) technology. Characterization of the film showed that the CS-CNC-GA composite film had high transparency and UV-blocking ability. The addition of GA (0.2 %-1.0 %) significantly enhanced the mechanical properties, water resistance, and thermal stability of the film. The tensile strength increased up to 46.30 MPa, and the lowest water vapor permeability was 1.16 × e-12 g/(cm·s·Pa). The PDI-treated CS-CNC-GA1.0 composite film exhibited significantly enhanced antibacterial activity, with inhibition zone diameters of 31.83 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 21.82 mm against Escherichia coli. The CS-CNC-GA composite film also showed good antioxidant activity. Additionally, the CS-CNC-GA1.0 composite film generated a large amount of singlet oxygen under UV-C light irradiation. It was found that using the CS-CNC-GA1.0 composite film for packaging and storage of oysters at 4 °C effectively delayed the increase in pH, total colony count, and lipid oxidation in oysters. In conclusion, the CS-CNC-GA composite film based on PDI technology has great potential for applications in the preservation of aquatic products.

Vinegar: A potential source of healthy and functional food with special reference to sugarcane vinegar.

Vinegar is one of the most widely used acidic condiments. Recently, rapid advances have been made in the area of vinegar research. Different types of traditional vinegar are available around the globe and have many applications. Vinegar can be made either naturally, through alcoholic and then acetic acid fermentation, or artificially, in laboratories. Vinegar is the product of acetic acid fermentation of dilute alcoholic solutions, manufactured by a two-step process. The first step is the production of ethanol from a carbohydrate source such as glucose, which is carried out by yeasts. The second step is the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid, which is carried out by acetic acid bacteria. Acetic acid bacteria are not only producers of certain foods and drinks, such as vinegar, but they can also spoil other products such as wine, beer, soft drinks, and fruits. Various renewable substrates are used for the efficient biological production of acetic acid, including agro and food, dairy, and kitchen wastes. Numerous reports on the health advantages associated with vinegar ingredients have been presented. Fresh sugarcane juice was fermented with wine yeast and LB acetate bacteria to develop a high-quality original sugarcane vinegar beverage. To facilitate the current study, the bibliometric analysis method was adopted to visualize the knowledge map of vinegar research based on literature data. The present review article will help scientists discern the dynamic era of vinegar research and highlight areas for future research.

A new isoflavone from the stems of Derris eriocarpa How.

A preliminary screening test was performed to discover new antihyperlipidaemic active compounds from the leguminous plant Derris eriocarpa How. A new compound, derris-isoflavone F (1), and derrubone dimethyl ether (6), a known synthetic compound of natural origin, were isolated from the stems of D. eriocarpa alongside eight recognised compounds. To our knowledge, this is the first instance of documenting the identification of compounds 1-10 from this plant. The new compound were evaluated for their antihyperlipidemic and antiproliferative properties. Compound 1 evidently reduced the triglyceride (TG) content in oleic acid-treated HepG2 cells, which validated its efficacy as a potential TG-lowering agent.

[Initial experience of transcatheter implantation with a new aortic valve in sheep].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and short-term results of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using a new transcatheter valve. METHODS: Twenty healthy adult sheep received general anesthesia. Under the guidance of X-ray and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), the new anti-calcification transcatheter valve was released from delivery system and implanted at the level of native aortic annulus via left common carotid artery. Position and function of the new anti-calcification transcatheter valve were evaluated by angiography and TTE immediately after intervention. Thirty day survival rate of animals was obtained. RESULTS: New transcatheter valves were implanted in all sheep. Fifteen sheep (75%) survived up to 30 days and post-operative examination showed that the transcatheter valve was in optimal position without migration and mitral valve impingement. The native coronary artery was patent in these animals. There was a slight paravalvular leak in 5 sheep. Postoperative echocardiography showed reflux percentage was significantly increased (P < 0.05) compared pre-intervention. Effective orifice area, aortic systolic pressure, diastolic aortic pressure, mean aortic pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure, left ventricular end diastolic pressure and heart rate were similar between post and pre-intervention (all P < 0.05). Five sheep died after TAVI within 30 days, including one fatal ventricular fibrillation occurred immediately after releasing the transcatheter valve and another sheep died of acute myocardial infarction due to left main coronary artery occlusion evidenced by angiography. Two sheep died of severe mitral regurgitation at 8 and 12 hours post-operation and one died of infective endocarditis at 26 days after intervention. CONCLUSION: Our favorable preliminary results showed that it was feasible to perform TAVI using the new transcatheter valve.

[Clinical follow-up of staged hybrid approach for patients with ventricular septal defects combined with patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of staged hybrid approach in treating ventricular septal defect (VSD) patients combined with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). METHODS: From July 2004 to July 2009, 22 VSD patients with PDA and PAH were enrolled and received staged hybrid approach treatment (transcatheter PDA occlusion and elective open surgery for VSD several days after PDA occlusion). All patients were followed up to examine rhythm change, residual shunt, shape of occlude, possible valve regurgitation, and aortic stenosis by echocardiography. RESULTS: After transcatheter PDA occlusion, pulmonary arterial systolic pressure decreased from (76.2 ± 25.8) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) to (55.4 ± 20.6) mm Hg (P = 0.005), mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from (53.5 ± 23.5) mm Hg to (36.2 ± 17.8) mm Hg (P = 0.049), total pulmonary resistance decreased from (8.2 ± 4.9) wood units to (6.9 ± 4.3) wood units (P = 0.037), and pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) increased from 2.8 ± 2.3 to 3.4 ± 1.7 (P = 0.045) post transcatheter interventional PDA occlusion. After VSD repair, pulmonary arterial systolic pressure decreased from (64.5 ± 22.3) mm Hg to (43.1 ± 18.9) mm Hg (P = 0.001) and mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from (40.2 ± 18.7) mm Hg to (29.5 ± 15.8) mm Hg (P = 0.040). There was no death or right heart failure during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Staged hybrid approach is an effective and safe strategy for treating VSD patients with PDA and PAH.

Acetaldehyde Enhances Alcohol Sensitivity and Protects against Alcoholism: Evidence from Alcohol Metabolism in Subjects with Variant ALDH2*2 Gene Allele.

Alcoholism is a complex behavior trait influenced by multiple genes as well as by sociocultural factors. Alcohol metabolism is one of the biological determinants that can significantly influence drinking behaviors. Alcohol sensitivity is thought to be a behavioral trait marker for susceptibility to develop alcoholism. The subjective perceptions would be an indicator for the alcohol preference. To investigate alcohol sensitivity for the variants ADH1B*2 and ALDH2*2, sixty healthy young males with different combinatory ADH1B and ALDH2 genotypes, ADH1B*2/*2-ALDH2*1/*1 (n = 23), ADH1B*2/*2-ALDH2*1/*2 (n = 27), and ADH1B*1/*1-ALDH2*1/*1 (n = 10), participated in the study. The subjective perceptions were assessed by a structured scale, and blood ethanol and acetaldehyde were determined by GC and HPLC after an alcohol challenge in two dose sessions (0.3 g/kg or 0.5 g/kg ethanol). The principal findings are (1) dose-dependent increase of blood ethanol concentration, unaffected by ADH1B or ALDH2; (2) significant build-up of blood acetaldehyde, strikingly influenced by the ALDH2*2 gene allele and correlated with the dose of ingested alcohol; (3) the increased heart rate and subjective sensations caused by acetaldehyde accumulation in the ALDH2*2 heterozygotes; (4) no significant effect of ADH1B polymorphism in alcohol metabolism or producing the psychological responses. The study findings provide the evidence of acetaldehyde potentiating the alcohol sensitivity and feedback to self-control the drinking amount. The results indicate that ALDH2*2 plays a major role for acetaldehyde-related physiological negative responses and prove the genetic protection against development of alcoholism in East Asians.

Enhanced Hippocampus-Nidopallium Caudolaterale Connectivity during Route Formation in Goal-Directed Spatial Learning of Pigeons.

Goal-directed spatial learning is crucial for the survival of animals, in which the formation of the route from the current location to the goal is one of the central problems. A distributed brain network comprising the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex has been shown to support such capacity, yet it is not fully understood how the most similar brain regions in birds, the hippocampus (Hp) and nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), cooperate during route formation in goal-directed spatial learning. Hence, we examined neural activity in the Hp-NCL network of pigeons and explored the connectivity dynamics during route formation in a goal-directed spatial task. We found that behavioral changes in spatial learning during route formation are accompanied by modifications in neural patterns in the Hp-NCL network. Specifically, as pigeons learned to solve the task, the spectral power in both regions gradually decreased. Meanwhile, elevated hippocampal theta (5 to 12 Hz) connectivity and depressed connectivity in NCL were also observed. Lastly, the interregional functional connectivity was found to increase with learning, specifically in the theta frequency band during route formation. These results provide insight into the dynamics of the Hp-NCL network during spatial learning, serving to reveal the potential mechanism of avian spatial navigation.

Melatonin ameliorates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy by attenuating Atg5-dependent autophagy and activating the Akt/mTOR pathway.

Cardiac hypertrophy, including hypertension and valvular dysfunction, is a pathological feature of many cardiac diseases that ultimately leads to heart failure. Melatonin confers a protective role against pathological cardiac hypertrophy, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, we hypothesized that melatonin protects against pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy by attenuating Atg5-dependent autophagy and activating the Akt/mTOR pathway. Male C57BL/6 mice that received adenovirus carrying cardiac-specific Atg5 (under the cTNT promoter; Ad-cTNT-Atg5) underwent transverse aortic constriction (TAC) or sham operation and received an intraperitoneal injection of melatonin (10 mg/kg/d), vehicle or LY294002 (10 mg/kg/d) for 8 weeks. Melatonin treatment for 8 weeks markedly attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and restored impaired cardiac function, as indicated by a decreased HW/BW ratio, reduced cell cross-sectional area and fibrosis, downregulated the mRNA levels of ANP, BNP, and ß-MHC and ameliorated adverse effects on the LVEF and LVFS. Melatonin treatment also inhibited apoptosis and alleviated autophagy dysfunction. Furthermore, melatonin inhibited Akt/mTOR pathway activation, while these effects were blocked by LY294002. In addition, the effect of melatonin regulation on TAC-induced autophagy dysfunction was inhibited by LY294002 or cardiac-specific Atg5 overexpression. As expected, Akt/mTOR pathway inhibition or cardiac-specific Atg5 overexpression restrained melatonin alleviation of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. These results demonstrated that melatonin ameliorated pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy by attenuating Atg5-dependent autophagy and activating the Akt/mTOR pathway.