PABPN1L assemble into "ring-like" aggregates in the cytoplasm of MII oocytes and is associated with female infertility†.

Infertility affects 10-15% of families worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of female infertility caused by abnormal early embryonic development is not clear. A recent study showed that poly(A)binding protein nuclear 1-like (PABPN1L) recruited BTG anti-proliferation factor 4 (BTG4) to mRNA 3'-poly(A) tails and was essential for maternal mRNA degradation. Here, we generated a PABPN1L-antibody and found "ring-like" PABPN1L aggregates in the cytoplasm of MII oocytes. PABPN1L-EGFP proteins spontaneously formed "ring-like" aggregates in vitro. This phenomenon is similar with CCR4-NOT catalytic subunit, CCR4-NOT transcription complex subunit 7 (CNOT7), when it starts deadenylation process in vitro. We constructed two mouse model (Pabpn1l-/- and Pabpn1l  tm1a/tm1a) simulating the intron 1-exon 2 abnormality of human PABPN1L and found that the female was sterile and the male was fertile. Using RNA-Seq, we observed a large-scale up-regulation of RNA in zygotes derived from Pabpn1l-/- MII oocytes. We found that 9222 genes were up-regulated instead of being degraded in the Pabpn1l-♀/+♂zygote. Both the Btg4 and CCR4-NOT transcription complex subunit 6 like (Cnot6l) genes are necessary for the deadenylation process and Pabpn1l-/- resembled both the Btg4 and Cnot6l knockouts, where 71.2% genes stabilized in the Btg4-♀/+♂ zygote and 84.2% genes stabilized in the Cnot6l-♀/+♂zygote were also stabilized in Pabpn1l-♀/+♂ zygote. BTG4/CNOT7/CNOT6L was partially co-located with PABPN1L in MII oocytes. The above results suggest that PABPN1L is widely associated with CCR4-NOT-mediated maternal mRNA degradation and PABPN1L variants on intron 1-exon 2 could be a genetic marker of female infertility.

Gut microbiome changes in anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis patients.

BACKGROUND: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a type of autoimmune encephalitis. The underlying mechanism(s) remain largely unknown. Recent evidence has indicated that the gut microbiome may be involved in neurological immune diseases via the "gut-brain axis". This study aimed to explore the possible relationship between anti-NMDAR encephalitis and the gut microbiome. METHODS: Fecal specimens were collected from 10 patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis and 10 healthy volunteers. The microbiome analysis was based on Illumina sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. The alpha, beta, and taxonomic diversity analyses were mainly based on the QIIME2 pipeline. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in epidemiology, medication, and clinical characteristics (except for those related to anti-NMDAR encephalitis) between the two groups. ASV analysis showed that Prevotella was significantly increased, while Bacteroides was reduced in the gut microbiota of the patients, compared with the controls. Alpha diversity results showed a decrease in diversity in the patients compared with the healthy controls, analyzed by the Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity, and Pielou_E uniformity based on the Kruskal-Wallis test (P = 0.0342, 0.0040, and 0.0002, respectively). Beta diversity analysis showed that the abundance and composition of the gut microbiota was significantly different between the two groups, analyzed by weighted and unweighted UniFrac distance (P = 0.005 and 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The abundance and evenness of bacterial distribution were significantly lower and jeopardized in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis than in healthy controls. Thus, our findings suggest that gut microbiome composition changes might be associated with the anti-NMDAR encephalitis. It could be a causal agent, or a consequence.

Transcriptomics reveals the mechanism of selenium-enriched Lactobacillus plantarum alleviating brain oxidative stress under cadmium stress in Luciobarbus capito.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of toxic metal in environment and is thought to affect nervous system. There were an increasing number of studies on selenium (Se)-enriched probiotics which were believed to produce bioactive nanoselenium. The antagonism of Se on heavy metals can significantly affect biological toxicity of heavy metals. This study aimed to elucidate possible mechanism of brain injury in Luciobarbus capito after Cd exposure and the mitigation of Se-enriched probiotics through transcriptome analysis. The results revealed 465 differentially expressed genes in the Cd and the control brains (Cd vs C), including 320 genes with upregulated expression and 145 genes with downregulated expression. In addition, we found that there were 4117 differentially expressed genes in the Se-enriched L. plantarum plus Cd and the control brains (S1L1-Cd vs C), including 2552 genes with upregulated expression and 1565 genes with downregulated expression. There were 147 differentially expressed genes in the Se-enriched L. plantarum plus Cd and the control brains (S1L1-Cd vs Cd), including 40 genes with upregulated expression and 107 genes with downregulated expression. Moreover, GO enrichment analysis indicated that the differentially expressed genes were involved in biological processes cellular component, and molecular function. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that MAPK signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway were significantly enriched. Subsequently, qRT-PCR was performed, and we selected 15 related differentially expressed genes for verification. The qRT-PCR results revealed the same trend as the RNA-Seq results. In conclusion, this study elucidated relieving effect of Se-enriched probiotics on Cd exposure-induced brain oxidative stress. This study provided a theoretical basis for further research on genes related to Cd poisoning and the amelioration of Se-enriched probiotics on Cd poisoning.

Anwulignan is a novel JAK1 inhibitor that suppresses non-small cell lung cancer growth.

Anwulignan is a monomer compound derived from Schisandra sphenanthera lignans. It has been reported to possess a spectrum of pharmacological activities, including anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and hepatoprotective properties. However, its anticancer capacity and molecular mechanism(s) against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been fully elucidated. Anwulignan significantly inhibited cell growth and increased G1-phase cell cycle arrest in NSCLC cells. Anwulignan strongly attenuates the JAK1/STAT3 signalling pathway by directly targeting JAK1 protein kinase activity in vitro. The anticancer activity by Anwulignan is dependent upon the JAK1 protein expression. Remarkably, Anwulignan strongly inhibited tumour growth in vivo. In conclusion, Anwulignan is a novel JAK1 inhibitor that may have therapeutic implications for NSCLC management.

Integrative Effects and Vagal Mechanisms of Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation on Gastroesophageal Motility in Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Impaired esophageal and gastric motilities are known to contribute to symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, there is a lack of GERD therapy, targeting both gastric and esophageal functions. This study was designed to investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) on symptoms of GERD and gastroesophageal functions and possible mechanisms in patients with GERD. METHODS: Thirty patients with GERD with ineffective esophageal motility were equally divided and randomized into a 4-week sham-TEA or 4-week TEA treatment. The GERD questionnaire (GerdQ), GERD health-related quality-of-life questionnaire, high-resolution esophageal manometry, a nutrient drink test, the electrogastrogram, and ECG were performed to assess the severity of reflux symptoms, low esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure, distal contractile integral (DCI), gastric accommodation, gastric slow waves (GSW), and autonomic functions, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with sham-TEA, the 4-week TEA treatment significantly decreased the GerdQ score (P = 0.011) and GERD health-related quality of life (P = 0.028) and improved nutrient drink-induced fullness (P < 0.001) and belching (P < 0.001) in patients with GERD. Although only acute TEA significantly enhanced LES pressure (P < 0.05), both acute and chronic TEA remarkedly increased DCI (P < 0.05) and reduced the incidence of ineffective esophageal contractions during wet swallows (P = 0.02). In addition, chronic TEA significantly increased gastric accommodation and the percentage of postprandial normal GSW compared with sham-TEA and baseline. Concurrently, TEA-enhanced vagal activity (P = 0.02) and the vagal activity positively correlated with LES pressure (r = 0.528; P = 0.003) and DCI (r = 0.522; P = 0.003). DISCUSSION: The TEA treatment performed in this study improves reflux-related symptoms, increases DCI, reduces the incidence of ineffective esophageal contractions during wet swallows, and improves gastric accommodation and slow waves. The improvement in GERD symptoms might be attributed to the integrative effects of TEA on these gastroesophageal functions mediated via the vagal mechanism.

Synthesis, characterization, and biological activity of selenium nanoparticles conjugated with polysaccharides.

Nanoparticles with unique properties have potential applications in food, medicine, pharmacology, and agriculture industries. Accordingly, many significant researches have been conducted to develop novel nanoparticles using chemical and biological techniques. This review focuses on the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using polysaccharides as templates. Various instrumental techniques being used to confirm the formation of polysaccharide-SeNPs conjugates and characterize the properties of nanoparticles are also introduced. Finally, the biological activities of the synthesized SeNPs and the influence of structural factors of polysaccharides on the property of synthetic nanocomposites are highlighted. In general, the polysaccharides functionalized SeNPs can be easily obtained using sodium selenite as precursor and ascorbic acid as reductant. The final products having different particle size, morphology, and selenium content exhibit abundant physiological activities. Structural factors of polysacchairdes involving molecular weights, substitution of functional groups, and chain conformation play determinant roles on the properties of nanocomposites, resulting in different biological performances. The review on the achievements and current status of polysaccharides conjugated SeNPs provides insights into this exciting research topic for further studies in the future.

Ice-binding proteins: a remarkable ice crystal regulator for frozen foods.

Ice crystal growth during cold storage presents a quality problem in frozen foods. The development of appropriate technical conditions and ingredient formulations is an effective method for frozen food manufacturers to inhibit ice crystals generated during storage and distribution. Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) have great application potential as ice crystal growth inhibitors. The ability of IBPs to retard the growth of ice crystals suggests that IBPs can be used as a natural ice conditioner for a variety of frozen products. In this review, we first discussed the damage caused by ice crystals in frozen foods during freezing and frozen storage. Next, the methods and technologies for production, purification and evaluation of IBPs were summarized. Importantly, the present review focused on the characteristics, structural diversity and mechanisms of IBPs, and the application advances of IBPs in food industry. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of IBPs are also discussed. This review may provide a better understanding of IBPs and their applications in frozen products, providing some valuable information for further research and application of IBPs.

Harmaline isolated from Peganum harmala suppresses growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through targeting mTOR.

Harmaline is a naturally occurring ß-carboline alkaloid that is isolated from Peganum harmala. It has shown efficacy in treating Parkinson's disease and has been reported to exhibit antimicrobial and anticancer properties. However, the molecular mechanism of harmaline in the context of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been characterized. Here, we report that harmaline attenuates ESCC growth by directly targeting the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Harmaline strongly reduced cell proliferation and anchorage-independent cell growth. Additionally, harmaline treatment induced G2/M phase cell-cycle arrest through upregulation of p27. The results of in vitro and cell-based assays showed that harmaline directly inhibited the activity of mTOR kinase and the phosphorylation of its downstream pathway components. Depletion of mTOR using an shRNA-mediated strategy in ESCC cell lines indicated that reduced mTOR protein expression levels are correlated with decreased cell proliferation. Additionally, we observed that the inhibitory effect of harmaline was dependent upon mTOR expression. Notably, oral administration of harmaline suppressed ESCC patient-derived tumor growth in vivo. Taken together, harmaline is a potential mTOR inhibitor that might be used for therapeutically treating ESCC.

Clinical application of an NGS-based method in the preimplantation genetic testing for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PURPOSE: To determine whether next-generation sequencing (NGS) could be used to directly detect different mutations of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) during preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). METHODS: From Sep. 2016 to Aug. 2018, a total of six couples participated in this study. Four cases carried DMD exon deletions and two carried exon duplications. Trophectoderm cells were biopsied at day 5 or 6 and NGS was used in the genetic testing of the biopsied cells after whole-genome amplification. We developed a new method-DIRected Embryonic Cell Testing of Exon Deletion/Duplication (DIRECTED) to directly detect the single-gene mutation by NGS. Linage analysis based on single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was used to validate the results from DIRECTED. RESULTS: In the four deletion cases, DIRECTED was used to detect DMD exon deletion in 16 biopsied embryos. All DIRECTED results were consistent with linkage analysis, indicating this method was reliable in detecting deletions around 1 Mb. In the two cases carrying exon duplications, no blastocyst was obtained for biopsy. Nonetheless, preliminary experiment results suggested that DIRECTED could also be used for direct detection of exon duplications in embryos. CONCLUSIONS: Exon deletions or duplications in DMD of preimplantation embryos could be detected directly by NGS-based methods during PGT.

Peptidomic analysis of blastocyst culture medium and the effect of peptide derived from blastocyst culture medium on blastocyst formation and viability.

High-quality in vitro human embryo culture medium can improve the blastocyst formation rate and blastocyst quality and be beneficial for the clinical application of single blastocyst transfer. Mammalian embryos can secrete protein products into the surrounding medium. As a group of bioactive molecules and degraded proteins, peptides have been shown to participate in various biological processes. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we performed comparative peptidomic analysis of human culture medium in blastocyst formation and nonblastocyst-formation groups. A total of 201 differentially expressed peptides originating from 157 precursor proteins were identified. Among these, a peptide derived from HERC2 (peptide derived from blastocyst culture medium [PDBCM]) passed through the zona pellucida, was distributed on the perivitelline space, was absent in arrest embryos and highly expressed in high-quality blastocysts compared with low-quality blastocysts, and significantly promoted blastocyst formation in a concentration-dependent manner. These results indicate that PDBCM may be a novel biomarker for predicting blastocyst formation and viability. The mechanism remains unclear and needs to be explored in the future.

The DNA methylation landscape of human early embryos.

DNA methylation is a crucial element in the epigenetic regulation of mammalian embryonic development. However, its dynamic patterns have not been analysed at the genome scale in human pre-implantation embryos due to technical difficulties and the scarcity of required materials. Here we systematically profile the methylome of human early embryos from the zygotic stage through to post-implantation by reduced representation bisulphite sequencing and whole-genome bisulphite sequencing. We show that the major wave of genome-wide demethylation is complete at the 2-cell stage, contrary to previous observations in mice. Moreover, the demethylation of the paternal genome is much faster than that of the maternal genome, and by the end of the zygotic stage the genome-wide methylation level in male pronuclei is already lower than that in female pronuclei. The inverse correlation between promoter methylation and gene expression gradually strengthens during early embryonic development, reaching its peak at the post-implantation stage. Furthermore, we show that active genes, with the trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) mark at the promoter regions in pluripotent human embryonic stem cells, are essentially devoid of DNA methylation in both mature gametes and throughout pre-implantation development. Finally, we also show that long interspersed nuclear elements or short interspersed nuclear elements that are evolutionarily young are demethylated to a milder extent compared to older elements in the same family and have higher abundance of transcripts, indicating that early embryos tend to retain higher residual methylation at the evolutionarily younger and more active transposable elements. Our work provides insights into the critical features of the methylome of human early embryos, as well as its functional relation to the regulation of gene expression and the repression of transposable elements.

Ameliorating Effects and Autonomic Mechanisms of Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation in Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Gastric dysmotility is one of pathophysiologies of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) on gastric accommodation and gastric slow waves, and evaluate possible mechanisms in patients with GERD. METHODS: Thirty patients were studied in two randomized sessions of sham-TEA and TEA with the measurements of esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM), gastric accommodation assessed by a nutrient-drinking test, electrogastrogram (EGG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and postprandial dyspeptic symptoms. RESULTS: Compared with sham-TEA, TEA improved nutrient drinking-induced fullness (42.0 ± 3.3 vs. 31.0 ± 3.5, P = 0.003) at 10 min after the drink, and belching right after the drink (22.0 ± 4.6 vs. 11.7 ± 3.1, P = 0.012) and at 10 min (16.0 ± 3.8 vs. 3.0 ± 1.5, P = 0.002) after the drink. TEA also improved gastric accommodation (954 ± 37 mL vs. 857 ± 47 mL, P = 0.001) and normalized maximal drink-induced impairment in gastric slow waves. Concurrently, TEA enhanced vagal activity assessed from spectral analysis of heart rate variability in the postprandial state (0.42 ± 0.03 vs. 0.49 ± 0.04, P = 0.039). The vagal activity was positively correlated with the percentage of normal slow waves (r = 0.528; P = 0.003) and negatively correlated with the regurgitation score (r = -0.408, P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Acute TEA increases gastric accommodation, improves gastric slow waves, and reduces postprandial fullness and belching, possibly mediated via the vagal mechanisms.

Pedestrian Trajectory Prediction in Extremely Crowded Scenarios.

Pedestrian trajectory prediction under crowded circumstances is a challenging problem owing to human interaction and the complexity of the trajectory pattern. Various methods have been proposed for solving this problem, ranging from traditional Bayesian analysis to Social Force model and deep learning methods. However, most existing models heavily depend on specific scenarios because the trajectory model is constructed in absolute coordinates even though the motion trajectory as well as human interaction are in relative motion. In this study, a novel trajectory prediction model is proposed to capture the relative motion of pedestrians in extremely crowded scenarios. Trajectory sequences and human interaction are first represented with relative motion and then integrated to our model to predict pedestrians' trajectories. The proposed model is based on Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) structure and consists of an encoder and a decoder which are trained by truncated back propagation. In addition, an anisotropic neighborhood setting is proposed instead of traditional neighborhood analysis. The proposed approach is validated using trajectory data acquired at an extremely crowded train station in Tokyo, Japan. The trajectory prediction experiments demonstrated that the proposed method outperforms existing methods and is stable for predictions of varying length even when the model is trained with a controlled short trajectory sequence.

[Effect of prenatal BDE-99 exposure on the maternal thyroid hormones levels and development of rat offspring].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of prenatal exposure to pentabromodiphenyl ether(BDE-99) on maternal serum thyroid hormone levels, as well as birth weight and anal-genital development in rat offspring. METHODS: Pregnant SD rats were randomly treated with BDE-99(0. 2, 2 and 20 mg/kg) or corn oil on gestational days 1-19. Maternal serum were collected from tail vein on the gestational day 11 and day 19, serum levels of TSH, TT4, FT4, TT3 and FT3 were measured. The weight of offspring was measured at postnatal day 3, 9, 15, 21 and 27, anorectal-genital spacing was measured at postnatal day 21. RESULTS: The levels of TT3 and FT3 in maternal serum of 2 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg groups were lower than those of control group at gestational day 11. At gestational day 19, TT4 levels in maternal serum were significantly lower than those in control group, and TSH levels of 20 mg/kg group were lower than those in control group. The body weight of female offspring in all dose groups was lower than that of control group on the postnatal day 27, and the anal-genital distance of male offspring in the 20 mg/kg dose group was significantly lower than that of the control group on the postnatal day 21. CONCLUSION: Prenatal exposure to BDE-99 may disrupt the maternal thyroid hormone levels, and cause the offspring's weight loss and shortened anal-genital spacing.

Clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms in a Chinese population: a large, retrospective single-centre study.

BACKGROUND: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) are the most common type of neuroendocrine tumors, accounting for more than half of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). We performed a retrospective study in our center to investigate the clinicopathological features, risk factors of metastasis, and prognosis of GEP-NENs in a Chinese population. METHODS: Four hundred forty patients with GEP-NENs treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2011 and March 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify independent risk factors for metastasis of the tumors. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and log-rank tests for comparisons among groups. RESULTS: Primary sites were the stomach (24.3%), rectum (24.1%), pancreas (20.5%), esophagus (12.3%), unknown primary origin (UPO-NEN) (8.0%), duodenum (6.1%). Three hundred eighty-nine of the 440 GEP-NENs cases (88.4%) were non-functional tumors, and patients had non-specific symptoms, which could have led to delay in diagnosis and treatment. Neuroendocrine tumor, neuroendocrine carcinoma, and mixed adenoendocrine carcinoma were 56.8%, 33.2% and 3.2%, respectively, of the cases. One hundred thirty (29.5%) of the tumors were G1, 120 (27.3%) G2, and 190 (43.2%) G3. The immunohistochemical positive rate of synaptophysin was 97.7% and of chromogranin 48.7%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the diameter and pathological classification of tumors were the most important predictors for metastasis. The median survival time was 34 months for patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors grade G3 and 11 months for poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma. The median survival time of patients with localized disease, regional disease, and distant disease was 36 months, 15 month, and 6 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study constitutes a comprehensive analysis of the clinicopathological features of GEP-NENs in a Chinese population. GEP-NENs may occur at any part of the digestive system. The diameter and pathological classification of tumor are the most important predictors for metastasis. The prognosis is poor for patients with poorly differentiated neuroendocrine cancers and distant metastases.

Coxsackievirus B3 infection induces autophagic flux, and autophagosomes are critical for efficient viral replication.

Autophagy is an intrinsic cellular process that can degrade cytoplasmic components. It has been reported that several pathogens hijack this process to facilitate their replication. Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), a member of the family Picornaviridae, induces autophagy upon infection. However, the details of CVB3-induced autophagy remain a subject of debate. This study applied a combination of multiple assays for the measurement of autophagy and demonstrated that CVB3 induces a complete autophagic flux. Experiments with infected HEK293A cells revealed that autophagosomes were induced upon CVB3 infection. Most of these autophagosomes were mCherry positive in mCherry-GFP-LC3 cells. Conversely, mCherry-positive autophagosomes were rescued to green positive when treated with the acidification inhibitors chloroquine (CQ) and bafilomycin A1 (BAF), suggesting that autophagosomes fused with late endosomes or lysosomes. The co-localization of LC3-positive puncta with lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) or LysoTracker confirmed that the autophagosomes fused primarily with lysosomes. Interestingly, the disruption of autophagosome formation by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or ATG5 siRNA treatment during viral infection significantly decreased CVB3 replication. However, inhibitors of lysosomal acidification, fusion, or degradation did not affect viral replication. Therefore, autolysosomes may not be critical for viral replication in vitro.

SHCBP1L, a conserved protein in mammals, is predominantly expressed in male germ cells and maintains spindle stability during meiosis in testis.

Male subfertility due to falling sperm counts has become an increasing problem over a short timescale (50-70 years). Recently, bioinformatics analysis of the human testis proteome has revealed the existence of human-testicular-predominantly-expressed-proteins, which are highly associated with spermatogenesis, although the functions of many of these proteins are still unknown. To understand the function of one of these proteins, SHCBP1L (1700012A16RIKEN), a knockout mouse was produced in which this gene was removed. Using this model, we showed that SHCBP1L binds to another protein, HSPA2, and maintains stability of the spindle. We showed that this complex was not present in knockout mice and that an abnormal number of spermatocytes were held in the early stages of meiosis. Many of these cells were undergoing programmed cell-death, or apoptosis, which is highly unusual for cells during the early stages of meiosis. We also found that proteins very similar to SHCBP1L exist in many other mammals. This led us to propose that SHCBP1L plays an important role in spermatogenesis in mammals.

Reference intervals for six lipid analytes in 8-14 year-old school children from three different ethnical groups in the Hulun Buir area of China.

BACKGROUND: Reference intervals vary according to gender, age, ethnicity, diet, and other factors. It is therefore recommended that population-specific reference intervals be established. This study investigated reference intervals of blood fat of healthy primary students (8 - 14 years) from Mongolian, Ewenki, and Han ethnicities in Hulun Buir area. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 1,723 children aged 8 - 14 years: 805 boys (46%) and 918 girls (54%) were analyzed for cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein A1 (APOAI), and apolipoprotein B (APOB) levels. TC and LDL-C 90 and 75 percentiles were considered as the critical high lipoprotein level and the lipoprotein concentration standard, TG 90 percentiles as high blood triglycerides concentrations, 5 percentiles as HDL-C reference range lower level and 95 percentiles as reference range of APOAI and APOB, the normal lipid reference interval for three ethnic groups of pupils were set up. RESULTS: There were significant differences between Han and other ethnicities with respect to TC, TG, HDL-C, APOAI, APOB (p < 0.01), but not LDL-C (p > 0.05). There were significant differences in Mongolian and Ewenki ethnicities with respect to LDL-C, HDL-C, APOAI and APOB (p < 0.01), but not TC, TG (p > 0.05). There was significant difference between boys and girls of Han and Mongolian ethnicities in TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, APOAI, APOB lipid levels (p < 0.01); and there was significant difference between boys and girls of Ewenki ethnicity with respect to TG, HDL-C, APOAI, APOB lipid levels (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Reference intervals of serum lipid parameters blood fat for healthy Mongolian, Ewenki, and Han ethnicities of primary students in Hulun Buir are presented, which provide an important update for lipid markers and suggest earlier incidence of hypercholesterolemia when comparing to previous ranges.

A water-soluble arabinoxylan from Chinese liquor distillers' grains: Structural characterization and anti-colitic properties.

Chinese liquor distillers' grain (CLDG) is a valuable and abundant by-product from traditional Chinese baijiu production, containing a diverse array of bioactive components that have attracted significant interest. Herein, a water-soluble polysaccharide, DGPS-2B, with a weight-average molecular weight of 37.3 kDa, was isolated from the alkali-extract fraction of CLDG. Methylation and NMR analysis identified that the primary constituents of DGPS-2B are arabinoxylans, with an arabinose-to-xylose ratio of 0.66. In an animal model of colitis, DGPS-2B treatment significantly altered the gut microbiota composition by increasing the SCFA-producing bacteria (e.g., Butyricicoccus) and reducing the mucin-degrading bacteria such as Muribaculaceae. This microbial shift resulted in elevated production of butyrate, acetate, and propionate, which subsequently suppressed NF-κB signaling, decreased the levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNFα, and potentially inactivated Notch signaling. These multifaceted effects stimulated mucin 2 production, reduced inflammation and apoptosis in the gut epithelium, and ultimately alleviated colitis symptoms. Collectively, this study not only elucidates the purification and characterization of DGPS-2B from CLDG but also illuminates its anti-colitic properties and the underlying molecular mechanisms. These findings underscore the potential of DGPS-2B as a therapeutic intervention for managing inflammatory bowel disease and emphasize CLDG as a promising source for developing value-added products.

CircCamsap1 is dispensable for male fertility in mice.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a large class of RNAs present in mammals. Among these, circCamsap1 is a well-acknowledged circRNA with significant implications, particularly in the development and progression of diverse tumors. However, the potential consequences of circCamsap1 depletion in vivo on male reproduction are yet to be thoroughly investigated. Methods: The presence of circCamsap1 in the mouse testes was confirmed, and gene expression analysis was performed using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. CircCamsap1 knockout mice were generated utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Phenotypic analysis of both the testes and epididymis was conducted using histological and immunofluorescence staining. Additionally, fertility and sperm motility were assessed. Results: Here, we successfully established a circCamsap1 knockout mouse model without affecting the expression of parental gene. Surprisingly, male mice lacking circCamsap1 (circCamsap1-/-) exhibited normal fertility, with no discernible differences in testicular and epididymal histology, spermatogenesis, sperm counts or sperm motility compared to circCamsap1+/+ mice. These findings suggest that circCamsap1 may not play an essential role in physiological spermatogenesis. Nonetheless, this result also underscores the complexity of circRNA function in male reproductive biology. Therefore, further research is necessary to elucidate the precise roles of other circRNAs in regulating male fertility.