The clinical features and TCAP mutation spectrum in a Chinese cohort of patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R7.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R7 (LGMDR7) is an autosomal recessive hereditary muscular dystrophy caused by mutations in titin-cap (TCAP). Here, we summarized the clinical characteristics and TCAP mutations in a Chinese cohort of 30 patients with LGMDR7. The onset age of Chinese patients was 19.89 ± 6.70 years old, which is later than European and South Asian patients (P < 0.05). Clinically speaking, 20.0% of patients presented with predominant distal weakness, and 73.3% of patients presented with predominant pelvic girdle weakness. Radiological study revealed semitendinosus and magnus adductor were severely involved in Chinese LGMDR7 patients. Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, soleus and tibialis anterior were moderately to severely involved. The most prevalent mutation in this cohort is c.26_33dupAGGTGTCG, while c.165dupG and c.110 + 5G > A are unique in Chinese population as two of the common mutations. Besides, variant c.26_33dupAGGGTGTCG might be a founder mutation in Asian patients. Internal nuclei, lobulated fibers, and scattered rimmed vacuoles were typical morphological changes in Chinese LGMDR7 patients. This is the largest LGMDR7 cohort in the Chinese population and in the world. This article also expands the clinical, pathological, mutational and radiological spectrum of patients with LGMDR7 in China and in the world.

Androgen synthesis cell-specific CREBZF deficiency alters adrenal cortex steroid secretion and develops behavioral abnormalities in adult male mice.

The global challenge of male infertility is escalating, notably due to the decreased testosterone (T) synthesis in testicular Leydig cells under stress, underscoring the critical need for a more profound understanding of its regulatory mechanisms. CREBZF, a novel basic region-leucine zipper transcription factor, regulates testosterone synthesis in mouse Leydig cells in vitro; however, further validation through in vivo experiments is essential. Our study utilized Cyp17a1-Cre to knock out CREBZF in androgen-synthesis cells and explored the physiological roles of CREBZF in fertility, steroid hormone synthesis, and behaviors in adult male mice. Conditional knockout (cKO) CREBZF did not affect fertility and serum testosterone level in male mice. Primary Leydig cells isolated from CREBZF-cKO mice showed impaired testosterone secretion and decreased mRNA levels of Star, Cyp17a1, and Hsd3b1. Loss of CREBZF resulted in thickening of the adrenal cortex, especially X-zone, with elevated serum corticosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone levels and decreased serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels. Immunohistochemical staining revealed increased expression of StAR, Cyp11a1, and 17ß-Hsd3 in the adrenal cortex of CREBZF-cKO mice, while the expression of AR was significantly reduced. Along with the histological changes and abnormal steroid levels in the adrenal gland, CREBZF-cKO mice showed higher anxiety-like behavior and impaired memory in the elevated plus maze and Barnes maze, respectively. In summary, CREBZF is dispensable for fertility, and CREBZF deficiency in Leydig cells promotes adrenal function in adult male mice. These results shed light on the requirement of CREBZF for fertility, adrenal steroid synthesis, and stress response in adult male mice, and contribute to understanding the crosstalk between testes and adrenal glands.

Glymphatic dysfunction in patients with early-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Recently, an astrocytic aquaporin 4-dependent drainage system, that is, the glymphatic system, has been identified in the live murine and human brain. Growing evidence suggests that glymphatic function is impaired in patients with several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. As the third most common neurodegenerative disease, although animal studies have indicated that early glymphatic dysfunction is likely an important pathological mechanism underpinning amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), no available study has been conducted to thoroughly assess glymphatic function in vivo in ALS patients to date, particularly in patients with early-stage ALS. Thus, using diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space (ALPS) index, an approximate measure of glymphatic function in vivo, we aimed to explore whether glymphatic function is impaired in patients with patients with early-stage ALS, and the diagnostic performance of the ALPS index in distinguishing between patients with early-stage ALS and healthy subjects. We also aimed to identify the relationships between glymphatic dysfunction and clinical disabilities and sleep problems in patients with early-stage ALS. In this retrospective study, King's Stage 1 ALS patients were defined as patients with early-stage ALS. We enrolled 56 patients with early-stage ALS and 32 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. All participants completed clinical screening, sleep assessment and ALPS index analysis. For the sleep assessment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and polysomnography were used. Compared with healthy control subjects, patients with early-stage ALS had a significantly lower ALPS index after family-wise error correction (P < 0.05). Moreover, receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve for the ALPS index was 0.792 (95% confidence interval 0.700-0.884). Partial correlation analyses showed that the ALPS index was significantly correlated with clinical disability and sleep disturbances in patients with early-stage ALS. Multivariate analysis showed that sleep efficiency (r = 0.419, P = 0.002) and periodic limb movements in sleep index (r = -0.294, P = 0.017) were significant predictive factors of the ALPS index in patients with early-stage ALS. In conclusion, our study continues to support an important role for glymphatic dysfunction in ALS pathology, and we provide additional insights into the early diagnostic value of glymphatic dysfunction and its correlation with sleep disturbances in vivo in patients with early-stage ALS. Moreover, we suggest that early improvement of glymphatic function may be a promising strategy for slowing the neurodegenerative process in ALS. Future studies are needed to explore the diagnostic and therapeutic value of glymphatic dysfunction in individuals with presymptomatic-stage neurodegenerative diseases.

Novel TFG mutation causes autosomal-dominant spastic paraplegia and defects in autophagy.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the tropomyosin receptor kinase fused (TFG) gene are associated with various neurological disorders, including autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), autosomal dominant hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominant involvement (HMSN-P) and autosomal dominant type of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2. METHODS: Whole genome sequencing and whole-exome sequencing were used, followed by Sanger sequencing for validation. Haplotype analysis was performed to confirm the inheritance mode of the novel TFG mutation in a large Chinese family with HSP. Additionally, another family diagnosed with HMSN-P and carrying the reported TFG mutation was studied. Clinical data and muscle pathology comparisons were drawn between patients with HSP and patients with HMSN-P. Furthermore, functional studies using skin fibroblasts derived from patients with HSP and patients with HMSN-P were conducted to investigate the pathomechanisms of TFG mutations. RESULTS: A novel heterozygous TFG variant (NM_006070.6: c.125G>A (p.R42Q)) was identified and caused pure HSP. We further confirmed that the well-documented recessively inherited spastic paraplegia, caused by homozygous TFG mutations, exists in a dominantly inherited form. Although the clinical features and muscle pathology between patients with HSP and patients with HMSN-P were distinct, skin fibroblasts derived from both patient groups exhibited reduced levels of autophagy-related proteins and the presence of TFG-positive puncta. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that autophagy impairment may serve as a common pathomechanism among different clinical phenotypes caused by TFG mutations. Consequently, targeting autophagy may facilitate the development of a uniform treatment for TFG-related neurological disorders.

Altered bile acid and correlations with gut microbiome in transition dairy cows with different glucose and lipid metabolism status.

The transition from pregnancy to lactation is critical in dairy cows. Among others, dairy cows experience a metabolic stress due to a large change in glucose and lipid metabolism. Recent studies revealed that bile acids (BA), besides being involved in both the emulsification and solubilization of fats during intestinal absorption, can also affect the metabolism of glucose and lipids, both directly or indirectly by affecting the gut microbiota. Thus, we used untargeted and targeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA sequencing approaches to investigate the concentration of plasma metabolites and BA, the composition of the rectum microbial community, and assess their interaction in transition dairy cows. In Experiment 1, we investigated BA and other blood parameters and gut microbiota in dairy cows without clinical diseases during the transition period, which can be seen as well adapted to the challenge of changed glucose and lipid metabolism. As expected, we detected an increased plasma concentration of ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) but decreased concentration of glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG). Untargeted metabolomic analysis of the plasma revealed primary BA biosynthesis was one of the affected pathways, and was consistent with the increased concentration of BA in the plasma. A correlation approach revealed a complex association between BA and microbiota with the host plasma concentration of glucose and lipid metabolites. Among BA, chenodeoxycholic acid derivates such as glycolithocholic acid, taurolithocholic acid, lithocholic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid, and taurodeoxycholic acid were the main hub nodes connecting microbe and blood metabolites (such as glucose, TG, and NEFA). In Experiment 2, we investigated early postpartum dairy cows with or without hyperketonemia (HPK). As expected, HPK cows had increased concentration of NEFA and decreased concentrations of glucose and triglycerides. The untargeted metabolomic analysis of the plasma revealed that primary BA biosynthesis was also one of the affected pathways. Even though the BA concentration was similar among the 2 groups, the profiles of taurine conjugated BA changed significantly. A correlation analysis also revealed an association between BA and microbiota with the concentration in plasma of glucose and lipid metabolites (such as BHBA). Among BA, cholic acid and its derivates such as taurocholic acid, tauro α-muricholic acid, and taurodeoxycholic acid were the main hub nodes connecting microbe and blood metabolites. Our results indicated an association between BA, intestinal microbe, and glucose and lipid metabolism in transition dairy cows. These findings provide new insight into the adaptation mechanisms of dairy cows during the transition period.

Intake of tobacco nitrosamines of smokers in various provinces of China and their cancer risk: A meta-analysis.

Nitrosamines are a class of carcinogens which have been detected widely in food, water, some pharmaceuticals as well as tobacco. The objectives of this paper include reviewing the basic information on tobacco consumption and nitrosamine contents, and assessing the health risks of tobacco nitrosamines exposure to Chinese smokers. We searched the publications in English from "Web of Science" and those in Chinese from the "China National Knowledge Infrastructure" in 2022 and collected 151 literatures with valid information. The content of main nitrosamines in tobacco, including 4-(methylnitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), total tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA), and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) were summarized. The information of daily tobacco consumption of smokers in 30 provinces of China was also collected. Then, the intakes of NNN, NNK, NAT, NAB, TSNAs, and NDMA via tobacco smoke were estimated as 1534 ng/day, 591 ng/day, 685 ng/day, 81 ng/day, 2543 ng/day, and 484 ng/day by adult smokers in 30 provinces, respectively. The cancer risk (CR) values for NNN and NNK inhalation intake were further calculated as 1.44 × 10-5 and 1.95 × 10-4. The CR value for NDMA intake via tobacco smoke (inhalation: 1.66 × 10-4) indicates that NDMA is similarly dangerous in tobacco smoke when compared with the TSNAs. In China, the CR values caused by average nitrosamines intake via various exposures and their order can be estimated as the following: smoke (3.75 × 10-4) > food (1.74 × 10-4) > drinking water (1.38 × 10-5). Smokers in China averagely suffer 200% of extra cancer risk caused by nitrosamines in tobacco when compared with non-smokers.

Exon skipping caused by splicing mutation in TNNT1 nemaline myopathy.

The TNNT1 gene encoding the slow skeletal muscle TnT has been identified as a causative gene for nemaline myopathy. TNNT1 nemaline myopathy is mainly characterized by neonatal-onset muscle weakness, pectus carinatum and respiratory insufficiency. Herein, we report on a Chinese girl with TNNT1 nemaline myopathy with mild clinical phenotypes without thoracic deformities or decreased respiratory function. Muscle biopsy showed moderate to marked type 1 fiber atrophy and nemaline rods. Next-generation sequencing identified the compound heterozygous c. 587dupA (p. D196Efs*41) and c. 387+5G>A mutations in the TNNT1 gene according to the transcript NM_003283.4. RNA sequencing revealed complete exon 9 skipping caused by the c. 387+5G>A mutation. Through quantitative PCR, we found that both the truncation c. 587dupA (p. D196Efs*41) and the splicing c. 387+5G>A mutations triggered nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Western blotting showed the residual amount of the truncated TNNT1 protein by deletion of exon 9, which may ameliorate the disease to some extent.

Aberrant mRNA processing caused by splicing mutations in TTN-related neuromuscular disorders.

Mutations in the TTN gene have been reported to be responsible for a range of neuromuscular disorders, including recessive distal myopathy and congenital myopathy (CM). Only five splicing mutations have been identified to induce aberrant mRNA splicing in TTN-related neuromuscular disorders. In our study, we described detailed clinical characteristics, muscle pathology and genetic analysis of two probands with TTN-related autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorders. Besides, we identified two novel intronic mutations, c.107377+1 G > C in intron 362 and c.19994-2 A > G in intron 68, in the two probands. Through cDNA analysis, we revealed the c.107377+1 G > C mutation induced retention of the entire intron 362, and the c.19994-2 A > G mutation triggered skipping of the first 11 bp of exon 69. Our study broadens the aberrant splicing spectrum of neuromuscular disorders caused by splicing mutations in the TTN gene.

MSX1 Regulates Goat Endometrial Function by Altering the Plasma Membrane Transformation of Endometrial Epithelium Cells during Early Pregnancy.

MSX1 is an important member of the muscle segment homeobox gene (Msh) family and acts as a transcription factor to regulate tissue plasticity, yet its role in goat endometrium remodeling remains elusive. In this study, an immunohistochemical analysis showed that MSX1 was mainly expressed in the luminal and glandular epithelium of goat uterus, and the MSX1 expression was upregulated in pregnancy at days 15 and 18 compared with pregnancy at day 5. In order to explore its function, goat endometrial epithelial cells (gEECs) were treated with 17 ß-estrogen (E2), progesterone (P4), and/or interferon-tau (IFNτ), which were used to mimic the physiological environment of early pregnancy. The results showed that MSX1 was significantly upregulated with E2- and P4-alone treatment, or their combined treatment, and IFNτ further enhanced its expression. The spheroid attachment and PGE2/PGF2α ratio were downregulated by the suppression of MSX1. The combination of E2, P4, and IFNτ treatment induced the plasma membrane transformation (PMT) of gEECs, which mainly showed the upregulation of N-cadherin (CDH2) and concomitant downregulation of the polarity-related genes (ZO-1, α-PKC, Par3, Lgl2, and SCRIB). The knockdown of MSX1 partly hindered the PMT induced by E2, P4, and IFNτ treatment, while the upregulation of CDH2 and the downregulation of the partly polarity-related genes were significantly enhanced when MSX1 was overexpressed. Moreover, MSX1 regulated the CDH2 expression by activating the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway. Collectively, these results suggest that MSX1 was involved in the PMT of the gEECs through the ER stress-mediated UPR pathway, which affects endometrial adhesion and secretion function.

Transcription Factor Nrf2 Modulates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Injury in Bovine Endometrial Epithelial Cells.

Endometritis in high-yield dairy cows adversely affects lactation length, milk quality, and the economics of dairy products. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) occurs as a consequence of diverse post-natal stressors, and plays a key role in a variety of inflammatory diseases. Nuclear-factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is an important protective regulatory factor in numerous inflammatory responses. However, the mechanism by which Nrf2 modulates inflammation by participating in ERS remains unclear. The objective of the present study was to explore the role of Nrf2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced injury to BEECs and to decipher the underlying molecular mechanisms of this injury. The expression of Nrf2- and ERS-related genes increased significantly in bovine uteri with endometritis. Isolated BEECs were treated with LPS to stimulate the inflammatory response. The expression of Nrf2 was significantly higher in cells exposed to LPS, which also induced ERS in BEECs. Activation of Nrf2 led to enhanced expression of the genes for the inflammation markers TNF-α, p65, IL-6, and IL-8 in BEECs. Moreover, stimulation of Nrf2 was accompanied by activation of ERS. In contrast, Nrf2 knockdown reduced the expression of TNF-α, p65, IL-6, and IL-8. Additionally, Nrf2 knockdown decreased expression of ERS-related genes for the GRP78, PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, and CHOP proteins. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that Nrf2 and ERS are activated during inflammation in BEECs. Furthermore, Nrf2 promotes the inflammatory response by activating the PERK pathway in ERS and inducing apoptosis in BEECs.

A Comparative Proteomic Analysis to Explore the Influencing Factors on Endometritis Using LC-MS/MS.

The inflammatory system activated by uterine infection is associated with decreased fertility. Diseases can be detected in advance by identifying biomarkers of several uterine diseases. Escherichia coli is one of the most frequent bacteria that is involved in pathogenic processes in dairy goats. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of endotoxin on protein expression in goat endometrial epithelial cells. In this study, the LC-MS/MS approach was employed to investigate the proteome profile of goat endometrial epithelial cells. A total of 1180 proteins were identified in the goat Endometrial Epithelial Cells and LPS-treated goat Endometrial Epithelial Cell groups, of which, 313 differentially expressed proteins were accurately screened. The proteomic results were independently verified by WB, TEM and IF techniques, and the same conclusion was obtained. To conclude, this model is suitable for the further study of infertility caused by endometrial damage caused by endotoxin. These findings may provide useful information for the prevention and treatment of endometritis.

Alr Gene in Brucella suis S2: Its Role in Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis and Bacterial Virulence in RAW264.7.

Brucella suis, the causative agent of brucellosis, poses a significant public health and animal husbandry threat. However, the role of the alanine racemase (alr) gene, which encodes alanine racemase in Brucella, remains unclear. Here, we analyzed an alr deletion mutant and a complemented strain of Brucella suis S2. The knockout strain displayed an unaltered, smooth phenotype in acriflavine agglutination tests but lacked the core polysaccharide portion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Genes involved in the LPS synthesis were significantly upregulated in the deletion mutant. The alr deletion strain exhibited reduced intracellular viability in the macrophages, increased macrophage-mediated killing, and upregulation of the apoptosis markers. Bcl2, an anti-apoptotic protein, was downregulated, while the pro-apoptotic proteins, Bax, Caspase-9, and Caspase-3, were upregulated in the macrophages infected with the deletion strain. The infected macrophages showed increased mitochondrial membrane permeability, Cytochrome C release, and reactive oxygen species, activating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. These findings revealed that alanine racemase was dispensable in B. suis S2 but influenced the strain's rough features and triggered the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway during macrophage invasion. The deletion of the alr gene reduced the intracellular survival and virulence. This study enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying Brucella's survival and virulence and, specifically, how alr gene affects host immune evasion by regulating bacterial LPS biosynthesis.

[Tissue distribution of Qingfei Paidu Decoction based on HPLC-MS/MS].

The tissue distribution of Qingfei Paidu Decoction was studied by HPLC-MS/MS in vivo. Hypersil GOLD C_(18) column(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.9 µm) was used for gradient elution with acetonitrile as the mobile phase A and 0.1% formic acid solution as the mobile phase B. High-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in both positive and negative ion scanning mode and multiple response monitoring(MRM) mode was employed to analyze the behaviors of the active components of Qingfei Paidu Decoction in diffe-rent tissues. The results showed that 19, 9, 17, 14, 22, 19, 24, and 2 compounds were detected in plasma, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, large intestine, and brain, respectively. The compounds belonged to 8 groups, covering 14 herbs in the prescription. After administration with Qingfei Paidu Decoction, the compounds were rapidly distributed in various tissues, especially in the lung, liver, large intestine, and kidney. The majority of the compounds displayed secondary distribution. This study comprehensively analyzed the distribution rules of the main active components in Qingfei Paidu Decoction and provided a basis for the clinical application.

Metabolic Profiling Revealed Prediction Biomarkers for Infantile Hemangioma in Umbilical Cord Blood Sera: A Prospective Study.

Infantile hemangioma (IH), the most common benign tumor in infancy, mostly arises and has rapid growth before 3 months of age. Because irreversible skin changes occur in the early proliferative stage, early medical treatment is essential to reduce the permanent sequelae caused by IH. Yet there are still no early screening biomarkers for IH before its visible emergence. This study aimed to explore prediction biomarkers using noninvasive umbilical cord blood (UCB). A prospective study of the metabolic profiling approach was performed on UCB sera from 28 infants with IH and 132 matched healthy controls from a UCB population comprising over 1500 infants (PeptideAtlas: PASS01675) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The metabolic profiling results exhibited the characteristic metabolic aberrance of IH. Machine learning suggested a panel of biomarkers to predict the occurrence of IH, with the area under curve (AUC) values in the receiver operating characteristic analysis all >0.943. Phenylacetic acid had potential to predict infants with large IH (diameter >2 cm) from those with small IH (diameter <2 cm), with an AUC of 0.756. The novel biomarkers in noninvasive UCB sera for predicting IH before its emergence might lead to a revolutionary clinical utility.

Amygdala abnormalities across disease stages in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

To examine selective atrophy patterns and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) alterations in the amygdala at different stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and to explore any correlations between amygdala abnormalities and neuropsychiatric symptoms. We used the King's clinical staging system for ALS to divide 83 consecutive patients with ALS into comparable subgroups at different disease stages. We explored the pattern of selective amygdala subnucleus atrophy and amygdala-based whole-brain FC alteration in these patients and 94 healthy controls (HCs). Cognitive and emotional functions were also evaluated using a neuropsychological test battery. There were no significant differences between ALS patients at King's stage 1 and HCs for any amygdala subnucleus volumes. Compared with HCs, ALS patients at King's stage 2 had significantly lower left accessory basal nucleus and cortico-amygdaloid transition volumes. Furthermore, ALS patients at King's stage 3 demonstrated significant reductions in most amygdala subnucleus volumes and global amygdala volumes compared with HCs. Notably, amygdala-cuneus FC was increased in ALS patients at King's stage 3. Specific subnucleus volumes were significantly associated with Mini-Mental State Examination scores and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores in ALS patients. In conclusions, our study provides a comprehensive profile of amygdala abnormalities in ALS patients. The pattern of amygdala abnormalities in ALS patients differed greatly across King's clinical disease stages, and amygdala abnormalities are an important feature of patients with ALS at relatively advanced stages. Moreover, our findings suggest that amygdala volume may play an important role in anxiety and cognitive dysfunction in ALS patients.

A female carrier of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy diagnosed with DNAJB6-related distal myopathy.

Mutations in the DNAJB6 gene cause limb girdle muscular dystrophy D1 (LGMD D1) and distal myopathy with rimmed vacuoles. With the discovery of new mutations, the phenotypic spectrum of DNAJB6-related myopathy has been extended, making the diagnosis more complicated. In this study, we describe a female carrier of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) diagnosed with DNAJB6-related distal myopathy. The c.292_294delGAT (p. Asp98del) mutation in the DNAJB6 gene and a 49 CAG repeat expansion in the androgen receptor (AR) gene were identified. According to the clinical manifestations of distal-dominant lower limb involvement, a myogenic pattern in the electrophysiological study, and rimmed vacuoles on muscle pathology, the patient was ultimately diagnosed with DNAJB6-related distal myopathy. A functional study in a zebrafish model indicated that the c.292_294delGAT (p. Asp98del) mutation contributed to muscle structure defects. This study offers useful insights for the differential diagnosis of a condition in which patients carry pathogenic variants in different genes.

BtpB inhibits innate inflammatory responses in goat alveolar macrophages through the TLR/NF-κB pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome during Brucella infection.

Brucella species are infectious facultative intracellular pathogens. They have evolved multiple strategies to thwart immune responses and replicate in macrophages for chronic persistence in the host. As a Brucella effector, BtpB is transferred into target cells through the type IV secretion system. BtpB, a Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing protein, blocks host innate immune responses by interfering with Toll-like receptor signaling. However, the intracellular targets and their activated downstream pathways remain unclear. In this study, we constructed a strain of Brucella suis S2 with a deletion in the gene for BtpB, ΔbtpB, and the complemented strain, C-ΔbtpB with a restored copy of the btpB gene. The bacterial growth curves and stress resistance results showed that BtpB did not affect B. suis S2 growth. Infection of alveolar macrophages with WT and ΔbtpB strains showed that BtpB inhibited TLR2 and TLR4 expression and attenuated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. BtpB also attenuated secretion of the Brucella-induced proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α, in alveolar macrophages while up-regulating IL-10 expression. In general, the results confirmed that BtpB specifically inhibits TLR2/TLR4 and disrupts NLRP3 signaling pathways to inhibit host immune responses in early Brucella infections.

Resveratrol and lycium barbarum polysaccharide improve Qinling giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca Qinlingensis) sperm quality during cryopreservation.

BACKGROUND: Semen cryopreservation has become an essential tool for conservation efforts of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca); however, it is severely detrimental to sperm quality. Evidence has shown that antioxidants have the potential to reverse cryopreservation-induced damage in sperm. The purpose of this study was to screen effective antioxidants that could retain sperm quality during cryopreservation and to determine the optimal dose. Seven antioxidant groups, including resveratrol (RSV = 50 µM, RSV = 100 µM, RSV = 150 µM), lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP = 2 mg/mL, LBP = 4 mg/mL), laminaria japonica polysaccharides (LJP = 1 mg/mL) or combination (LBP = 2 mg/mL, LJP = 1 mg/mL and RSV = 100 µM) were assessed. RESULTS: RSV, LBP, LJP, or a combination of RSV, LBP, and LJP added to the freezing medium significantly improved sperm progressive motility, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, and mitochondrial activity during the cryopreservation process. Furthermore, the activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were also improved. The levels of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde in semen were notably reduced. Hyaluronidase activity and acrosin activity were significantly increased in LBP-treated sperm. However, sperm total motility and DNA integrity were not significantly different between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: RSV (50 µM) or LBP (2 mg/mL) are the best candidate antioxidants for inclusion in the freezing medium to improve the quality of giant panda spermatozoa during semen cryopreservation.

Novel compound heterozygous mutations in the TTN gene: elongation and truncation variants causing limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2J in a Han Chinese family.

INTRODUCTION: Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) is a group of clinically heterogeneous muscle disorders commonly manifesting proximal limb girdle muscle weakness. There have been more than 30 subtypes of LGMD associated with causative genes and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2J (LGMD2J) is caused by mutations in the TTN gene. METHODS: We report a Han Chinese family with LGMD2J. The proband and his sister both presented with weakness in the proximal lower limbs bilaterally. Muscle biopsy and genetic analysis were performed. RESULTS: Muscle biopsy of the proband showed dystrophic changes accompanied by rimmed vacuoles. Whole-exome sequencing identified novel compound heterozygous mutations in the TTN gene, including elongation (c.107962_107963delAT, p.I35988Sfs*26) and truncation (c.99125_99128dupACAG, p.S33043Rfs*9) variants in the proband and his sister. Both two variants have never been reported. Notably, we are the first to identify an elongation mutation in the TTN gene, broadening the genetic mutation spectrum of LGMD2J. DISCUSSION: Several variants in the last exon of the TTN gene have been reported, one of which was associated with LGMD2J. Besides, LGMD2J should be distinguished from other myopathies caused by mutations in the TTN gene. The pathogenesis of and specific curative methods for LGMD2J remain to be further elucidated.

Clinical, genetic, and pathological characterization of GNE myopathy in China.

BACKGROUND: GNE myopathy is the most common distal myopathy in China. We summarized the clinical, genetic, and pathological characteristics of 125 Chinese patients with GNE myopathy. METHODS: We collected clinical data of 21 patients diagnosed at our hospital and 104 patients from previous reports. Clinical, genetic, and pathological characteristics were summarized. According to the location of mutations, patients were classified into groups to analyze genotype-phenotype correlation. We reviewed the pathological features and studied the expressions of neural cell adhesion molecule. RESULTS: The severity of involvement of lower limb muscles was in the following order: tibialis anterior > biceps femoris > gastrocnemius > iliopsoas > quadriceps femoris. Mutation p.D207V was the most common variant in China. Patients carrying p.D207V tended to show later disease onset. In the epimerase/epimerase group, men had earlier disease onset than women (p < 0.05). In other groups, age at disease onset in females was earlier than that in males. Protein analysis showed decreased sialylation of NCAM and upregulation of LC3 in patients with different mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Mutation p.D207V is the most common GNE variant in China. Involvement of flexor muscles in lower limbs was more obvious than extensor muscles. NCAM expression in patients with various mutations may be a useful diagnostic biomarker in GNE myopathy.