[Expression changes of RNA m6A regulators in mouse cerebellum affected by hypobaric hypoxia stimulation].

Objective: To investigate the role of RNA m6A methylation in mediating cerebellar dysplasia through analyzing the phenotypes of the mouse cerebella and the expression of several key m6A regulators upon hypobaric hypoxia treatment. Methods: Five-day old C57/BL6 mice were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 9 days. The status of mouse cerebellar development was analyzed by comparing the body weights, brain weights and histological features. Immunostaining of cell-type-specific markers was performed to analyze the cerebellar morphology. Real-time PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemical staining were performed to detect the expression of key m6A regulators in the mouse cerebella. Results: Compared with the control, the body weights, brain weights and cerebellar volumes of hypobaric hypoxic mice were significantly reduced (P<0.01). The expression of specific markers in different cells, including NeuN (mature neuron), Calbindin-D28K (Purkinje cell) and GFAP (astrocyte), was decreased in hypobaric hypoxic mouse cerebella (P<0.01), accompanied with disorganized cellular structure. The expression of methyltransferase METTL3 was significantly down-regulated in the cerebella of hypobaric hypoxic mice (P<0.05). Conclusions: Hypobaric hypoxia stimulation causes mouse cerebellar dysplasia, with structural abnormalities in mature granular neurons, Purkinje cells and astrocytes. Expression of METTL3 is decreased in hypobaric hypoxic mice cerebellum compared with that of normobaric normoxic mice, suggesting that its mediated RNA m6A methylation may play an important role in hypobaric hypoxia-induced mouse cerebellar dysplasia.

[Effects of RNA M6A demethylase ALKBH5 gene deficiency on morphology and function of cerebellum in aged mice].

Objective: To investigate the effects of RNA m6A demethylase ALKBH5 gene deficiency on cerebellar morphology and function in the aged mice, and to explore the role of ALKBH5 in cerebellar degeneration. Methods: Western blot was performed to detect the protein level of ALKBH5 in the cerebellum of wild-type mice of various ages. The expression of NeuN, Calbindin-D28K, MAP2, GFAP and other proteins in the cerebella of middle-aged (12-month-old) and aged (18-month-old) wild-type mice and ALKBH5-/- mice was examined using immunohistochemistry. The balance beam test and gait analysis were performed to test the balance ability and motor coordination of the mice. Results: With aging of the mice, the expression of ALKBH5 in the cerebellum increased gradually in an age-dependent manner. In the aged mice, but not middle-aged mice, the body weight, whole brain weight and cerebellum weight of ALKBH5-/- mice decreased by 15%, 10% and 21%, respectively (P<0.05). The expression of ALKBH5 in the Purkinje cells was much higher than that in other types of neural cells. Correspondingly, ALKBH5-deficiency caused 40% reduction in the number of Purkinje cells, as well as the length and density of neuronal dendrites in the aged mice (P<0.01). In addition, the time for the aged ALKBH5-/- mice to pass the balance beam was 70% longer than that of the wild type mice of the same age, with unstable gaits (P<0.01). Conclusions: Gene deficiency of RNA m6A demethylase ALKBH5 causes cerebellar atrophy, Purkinje neuron loss and damage in the aged mice. These changes eventually affect mice's motor coordination and balance ability. These results suggest that imbalanced RNA m6A methylation may lead to neurodegenerative lesions in the cerebellum of mice.

Clinical Outcomes of Conservative Treatment for Low-Risk Ductal Carcinoma in Situ: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis.

AIMS: The current gold standard of treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is surgical resection with or without adjuvant radiotherapy. However, the increased detection and radical treatment of DCIS did not result in a declined incidence of invasive breast cancers, leading to the debate if DCIS has been overtreated. While ongoing randomised controlled trials on active surveillance of DCIS are still in progress, this systematic review aims to evaluate the best evidence on conservative treatment for DCIS from the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in line with the PRISMA statement. We included all relevant studies published up to June 2022 for analysis. The primary outcomes were overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) of conservative treatment for DCIS. RESULTS: Three studies, with a total of 34 007 women with low-risk DCIS, were included in the analysis. Active and conservative treatments both resulted in excellent 10-year BCSS, with no statistically insignificant difference (98.6% versus 96.0%, 31 478 women). One study comparing 5-year BCSS of active and conservative treatments only in subjects aged over 80 years also reported [AQ1]an insignificant difference (98.2% versus 96.0%, 2529 women). One study measuring 5- and 10-year overall survival between the treatment groups also reported [AQ1]an insignificant difference (5-year: 96.2% versus 92.4%; 10-year: 85.6% versus 86.7%, 31 106 women). CONCLUSION: BCSS between active and conservative treatment for women with low-risk DCIS is both excellent and comparable, suggesting that conservative treatment is a possible alternative without compromising survival.

A case of linezolid-induced SIADH in elderly and a review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Linezolid is a synthetic oxazolidinone antimicrobial drug with a broad spectrum and a unique mechanism of inhibiting resistant pathogenic strains, and it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2000. Several different systemic side effects were reported after the use of this medication. In this article, we report a case in which a syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) was developed after linezolid treatment was started. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 79-year-old woman who developed severe hyponatremia during linezolid treatment (0.6 g i.v. q12 h) after undergoing hemiarthroplasty for left femoral neck fracture. The patient's baseline serum sodium upon admission (138 mmol/L) decreased to 118 mmol/L, urine sodium was 102 mmol/L, plasma osmolality was 248 mOsm/kg and urine osmolarity was 310 mOsm/kg at day 4, thus a diagnosis of SIADH was made. The patient was not taking any other medication known to cause SIADH, and she did not present a comorbidity that could explain her condition. Her serum sodium increased to 135 and 137 mmol/L, respectively, 11 and 12 days after cessation of linezolid, strongly suggesting that SIADH was the cause in this case. CONCLUSIONS: This is the fourth case of linezolid-induced SIADH. A thorough workup was essential for the diagnosis to correctly differentiate between SIADH and other causes of hyponatremia, which helped us properly conducting follow-up treatments. SIADH is a rare but serious side effect of linezolid, and practicing physicians should be aware of this complication. It is necessary to periodically monitor the serum sodium.

[Toll-like receptors link atopic march and hygiene hypothesis].

The atopic march reveals that infants with atopic dermatitis are prone to food allergy, allergic rhinitis and asthma later in life. The hygiene hypothesis holds that the cleaner the personal hygiene and environment, the higher the incidence rate of asthma and allergy. It is believed that Toll like receptors (TLRs) are the bridge between innate immunity and adaptive immunity, playing an important role in inflammatory and immune diseases. More and more evidence shows that TLRs, involved in the pathophysiology of atopic march, connect atopic march with hygiene hypothesis as a potential therapeutic target for asthma and allergy.

[Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of paraquat and diquat in plasma and urine].

Objective: To establish a LC-MS/MS method for determination of paraquat and diquat in plasma and urine samples. Methods: Plasma is precipitated by acetonitrile then diluent with phosphate buffer (pH=7) , urine is diluent with phosphate buffer (pH=7) , then diluent samples extracted with Oasis WCX solid-phase extraction column. Samples were analyzed using LC-MS/MS in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The analytical column was XBridge®BEH-HILIC (100 mm×2.1 mm×2.5 µm) and the mobile phase were 100 mmol ammonium formate add 0.5% formic acid and acetonitrile. Paraquat was quantified by internal standard method and diquat by external standard method. Results: The calibration curves of paraquat and diquat were linear in the concentration range of 10.0~120.0 µg/L, the correlation coefficient (r) were 0.9985~0.9994. The limit of detection of paraquat in plasma and urine were 1.98 µg/L and 1.00 µg/L, respectively, the recovery rate were 100.2%~107.3%, the RSD were 1.6%~3.3%. The limit of detection of diquat in plasma and urine were 1.80 µg/L and 2.77 µg/L, respectively, the recovery rate were 85.3%~93.1%, the RSD were 1.8%~5.5%. Conclusion: This method is sensitive and accurate, and can simultaneously determine paraquat and diquat in plasma and urine.

LINC00665 knockdown protects against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

LINC00665 has been reported to participate in several human diseases. However, the role of LINC00665 in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CI/R) is still unknown. This study is designed to investigate the role of LINC00665 in rats with CI/R injury. We established middle cerebral artery occlusion/ reperfusion (MCAO/R) rats model in vivo. PC12 cells treated with oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) were used to establish in vitro I/R model. RT-qPCR assay was adopted to assess the mRNA expression of LINC00665 and miR-744-5p. MTT assay was used to determine cell viability. The protein expression of Bax and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blot assay. The relationship between LINC00665 and miR-744-5p was confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). In this study, we found that LINC00665 was sharply up regulated in MCAO/R rats and PC12 cells treated with I/R. Functionally, LINC00665 knockdown attenuated oxidative damage in PC12 cells treated with I/R. Moreover, LINC00665 knockdown promoted cell viability, while inhibited cell apoptosis in PC12 cells treated with I/R. In addition, miR-744-5p was confirmed to be a target of LINC00665. LINC00665 knockdown was validated to project CI/R injury by sponging miR-744-5p expression.

[Relationship between circular RNA and liver disease].

CircRNA is a new endogenous non-coding RNA(ncRNA ) and a member of the competitive endogenous RNA(ceRNA) family. Some researches have found that circRNA exists widely in organisms and interacts with miRNA, which has certain influence on the occurrence and development of liver diseases. This article reviews the research progress of circRNA and its biological functions, as well as the relationship between circRNA and liver disease, in order to expound the role of circRNA in liver diseases and guide clinical practice better.

Composition analysis of fatty acids and stereo-distribution of triglycerides in human milk from three regions of China.

Understanding the components composition characteristics of human milk is conductive for the development of infant formulas. The total fatty acids composition and the stereo-distribution of fatty acids in human milk triglycerides (TGs) from three regions (Zhengzhou, Wuhan and Harbin) of China were analyzed. The total and intrapositional fatty acids composition of human milk TGs showed significant differences among three regions. Zhengzhou, Harbin and Wuhan human milk possessed highest levels of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA, 6.36 ±â€¯1.46%), short-chain fatty acids (SCFA, 0.10 ±â€¯0.03%) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA, 34.61 ±â€¯0.45%), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, 30.34 ±â€¯0.33%), respectively. The preference distribution of fatty acids in human milk TGs was hardly affected by regions, for the relative conservative interpositional levels of each fatty acids in three regions. Not only the specific distribution of sn-2 position, but the esterification of fatty acids in sn-1 and sn-3 positions also had preference. SCFA and MCFA were mainly esterified at sn-3 position, but LCSFA most unlikely distributed at the sn-3 position. The preference esterification of MUFA were sn-1, sn-3 > sn-2, and PUFA were sn-3 > sn-1 > sn-2. Therefore, the optimization of infant formulas not only needs considering total fatty acid composition of TGs but requires thinking over the stereo-distribution of fatty acids.

Chopart amputation with tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis and free flap reconstruction for severe foot crush injury.

AIMS: This study reports the outcomes of a technique of soft-tissue coverage and Chopart amputation for severe crush injuries of the forefoot. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2012 to December 2016, 12 patients (nine male; three female, mean age 38.58 years; 26 to 55) with severe foot crush injury underwent treatment in our institute. All patients were followed-up for at least one year. Their medical records, imaging, visual analogue scale score, walking ability, complications, and functional outcomes one year postoperatively based on the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores were reviewed. RESULTS: The mean length of follow-up was 18.6 months (13 to 28). Two patients had a local infection, flap necrosis was seen in one patient, and one patient experienced a skin graft wound healing delay. Of the 12 patients, one had persistent infection and eventually required below-knee amputation, but pain-free walking was achieved in all the other patients. The mean one-year postoperative AOFAS and SF-36 scores were 75.6 (68 to 80) and 82 (74 to 88), respectively. CONCLUSION: Although our sample size was small, we believe that this treatment method may be a valuable alternative for treating severe foot crush injuries. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1359-63.

Comparison of the degradation behavior of PLGA scaffolds in micro-channel, shaking, and static conditions.

Degradation of scaffolds is an important problem in tissue regeneration management. This paper reports a comparative study on degradation of the printed 3D poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold under three conditions, namely, micro-channel, incubator static, and incubator shaking in the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution. In the case of the micro-channel condition, the solution was circulated. The following attributes of the scaffold and the solution were measured, including the mass or weight loss, water uptake, morphological and structural changes, and porosity change of the scaffold and the pH value of the PBS solution. In addition, shear stress in the scaffold under the micro-channel condition at the initial time was calculated with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to see how the shear stress factor may affect the morphological change of the scaffold. The results showed that the aforementioned attributes in the condition of the micro-channel were significantly different from the other two conditions. The mechanisms that account for the results were proposed. The reasons behind the results were explored. The main contributions of the study were (1) new observations of the degradation behavior of the scaffold under the micro-channel condition compared with the conditions of incubator static and incubator shaking along with underlying reasons, (2) new understanding of the role of the shear stress in the scaffold under the condition of the micro-channel to the morphological change of the scaffold, and (3) new understanding of interactions among the attributes pertinent to scaffold degradation, such as weight loss, water uptake, pH value, porosity change, and morphological change. This study sheds important light on the scaffold degradation to be controlled more precisely.

Comparative effect of antipsychotics on risk of self-harm among patients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of different antipsychotic treatments with hospitalization due to self-harm among patients with schizophrenia. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study was based on Taiwan's universal health insurance database. Patients aged 15-45 years with a newly diagnosed schizophrenic disorder in 2001-2012 were included. The study outcome was the first hospitalization due to self-harm or undetermined injury after the diagnosis of schizophrenic disorders. The exposure status of antipsychotics was modeled as a time-dependent variable. The analyses were stratified by antipsychotic dosage based on defined daily dose (DDD). RESULTS: Among 70 380 patients with a follow-up of 500 355 person-years, 2272 self-harm hospitalization episodes were identified. Compared with none or former use, current use of several second-generation antipsychotics with a dose of one DDD or above, including amisulpride, aripiprazole, clozapine, risperidone, and sulpiride, was associated with decreased risk of self-harm hospitalization, with clozapine showing the strongest effect (adjusted rate ratio = 0.26, 95% confidence interval 0.15-0.47). CONCLUSION: The protective effect on self-harm may vary across different antipsychotics. Further studies are needed to replicate the findings.

Impact of E × B shear flow on low-n MHD instabilities.

Recently, the stationary high confinement operations with improved pedestal conditions have been achieved in DIII-D [K. H. Burrell et al., Phys. Plasmas 23, 056103 (2016)], accompanying the spontaneous transition from the coherent edge harmonic oscillation (EHO) to the broadband MHD turbulence state by reducing the neutral beam injection torque to zero. It is highly significant for the burning plasma devices such as ITER. Simulations about the effects of E × B shear flow on the quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) are carried out using the three-field two-fluid model in the field-aligned coordinate under the BOUT++ framework. Using the shifted circular cross-section equilibriums including bootstrap current, the results demonstrate that the E × B shear flow strongly destabilizes low-n peeling modes, which are mainly driven by the gradient of parallel current in peeling-dominant cases and are sensitive to the Er shear. Adopting the much more general shape of E × B shear ([Formula: see text]) profiles, the linear and nonlinear BOUT++ simulations show qualitative consistence with the experiments. The stronger shear flow shifts the most unstable mode to lower-n and narrows the mode spectrum. At the meantime, the nonlinear simulations of the QH-mode indicate that the shear flow in both co- and counter directions of diamagnetic flow has some similar effects. The nonlinear mode interaction is enhanced during the mode amplitude saturation phase. These results reveal that the fundamental physics mechanism of the QH-mode may be shear flow and are significant for understanding the mechanism of EHO and QH-mode.

Bifurcation and hysteresis of plasma edge transport in a flux-driven system.

Transition dynamics and mean shear flow generation in plasma interchange turbulence are explored in a flux-driven system that resembles the plasma edge region. The nonlinear evolution of the interchange mode shows two confinement regimes with different transport levels. Large amplitude oscillations in the phase space of turbulence intensity and mean flow energy are observed and investigated. Both clockwise and counterclockwise oscillations occur during the transition between the two regimes. The Reynolds stress gradients are shown to play a critical role in the generation of mean sheared flows in the edge region. Both the forward and back transitions are simulated self-consistently and a significant hysteresis is found.

[Differential expression of microRNA in eutopic endometrium tissue during implantation window for patients with endometriosis related infertility].

OBJECTIVE: To predict the genes that affect endometrial receptivity through the differential expression of microRNA (miRNA) in eutopic endometrial tissues during implantation window in patients with endometriosis infertility. METHODS: Among infertile patients that received treatments at the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital between May and December 2013, patients with endometriosis infertility were selected as endometriosis group (among the selected 17 cases, there were 6 cases with follicular phase endometrium and 11 cases with implantation window phase endometrium), and patients with tubal factor infertility were selected as control group (among the selected 19 cases, there were 7 cases with follicular phase endometrium and 12 cases with implantation window phase endometrium). (1)Implantation window phase endometrium was selected from 3 cases in each group. Using miRNA and mRNA joint gene sequencing and database for forecast results, as well as using the negative regulatory relationship between miRNA and mRNA, the intersection of target gene that negatively correlates with miRNA expression were obtained. The co-expression network of miRNA-mRNA wae constructed. Combined with the genes associated with endometrial receptivity found through bioinformatics method, the miRNA with core regulatory functionwas found. (2) Expand sample size to 14 cases for endometriosis group and 16 cases for control group.Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR technique was utilized to detect the expression of miR- 142- 5p, miR- 146a- 5p and miR- 543 in endometrial tissues, and verify miRNA microarray results. RESULTS: (1) miRNA and mRNA microarray screening results showed that, among the endometrial tissues of patients with endometriosis infertility and with implantation window phase, 6 differentially expressed miRNA were indentified, among which miR-142-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-1281, miR-940, miR-4634 showed significantly enhanced expression and miR- 543 showed significantly inhibited expression. Sixty- three differentially expressed mRNA were indentified, among which 58 mRNA such as CADM1, IL-10RA, ITGAL and LPAR5 had significantly enhanced expression. Five mRNA such as HLA- DRB1,3,4,5 and SOHLH2 showed significantly inhibited expression. Thirty- six taget genes were found in consideration of negatively correlated miRNA expression with the genes, miRNA-mRNA co-expression network were constructed. The miR-543 was found at the core of the network. Targetscan and other database predicted that miR-142-5p, miR- 146a- 5p and miR- 543 could act on various types of endometrial receptivity molecular corresponding marker genes such as HOX10, ITGAV, ITGB3, OPN, LIF, ESR, PGR, CDH1 and MMP. (2) RT- PCR test showed that the average levels of expression of miR-142-5p and miR-146a-5p in implantation window phase endometrium in endometriosis group were 8.3±10.6 and 1.9±0.8 respectively; the average levels of that in control group were 1.1±0.6 and 0.9±0.4, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P=0.027, P=0.015), and was consistent with results from miRNA microarray test. The expression of miR-543 in tissues of follicular phase endometrium in endometriosis group (2.3±1.0) was significantly higher than that in control group (1.0 ± 0.4), and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.008). However, when comparing the expression of miR-543 implantation window phase endometrium in endometriosis group (1.2±0.6) with that in control group (1.5±1.0), the difference was not statistical significant (P=0.890). CONCLUSIONS: There are multiple differential expressions of miRNA in the implantation window phase endometrium tissues of endometriosis infertility patients, among which miR-142-5p and miR-146a-5p show significantly enhanced expression and may affect embryo implantation by acting on a variety of endometrial receptivity marker molecules. The expression of miR- 543 in implantation window phase endometrium of endometriosis infertility patients is lower than that in the follicular phase, forewarned changes in the pattern of cyclic variation of miR-543, and may be the reason for affecting endometrial receptivity.

Protective effects of tumor necrosis factor-α blockade by adalimumab on articular cartilage and subchondral bone in a rat model of osteoarthritis.

We aimed to investigate the effects of an anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antibody (ATNF) on cartilage and subchondral bone in a rat model of osteoarthritis. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operated group (n=8); anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT)+normal saline (NS) group (n=8); and ACLT+ATNF group (n=8). The rats in the ACLT+ATNF group received subcutaneous injections of ATNF (20 µg/kg) for 12 weeks, while those in the ACLT+NS group received NS at the same dose for 12 weeks. All rats were euthanized at 12 weeks after surgery and specimens from the affected knees were harvested. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson's trichrome staining, and Mankin score assessment were carried out to evaluate the cartilage status and cartilage matrix degradation. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the cartilage molecular metabolism. Bone histomorphometry was used to observe the subchondral trabecular microstructure. Compared with the rats in the ACLT+NS group, histological and Mankin score analyses showed that ATNF treatment reduced the severity of the cartilage lesions and led to a lower Mankin score. Immunohistochemical and histomorphometric analyses revealed that ATNF treatment reduced the ACLT-induced destruction of the subchondral trabecular microstructure, and decreased MMP-13 expression. ATNF treatment may delay degradation of the extracellular matrix via a decrease in MMP-13 expression. ATNF treatment probably protects articular cartilage by improving the structure of the subchondral bone and reducing the degradation of the cartilage matrix.

Protective effects of tumor necrosis factor-α blockade by adalimumab on articular cartilage and subchondral bone in a rat model of osteoarthritis

We aimed to investigate the effects of an anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antibody (ATNF) on cartilage and subchondral bone in a rat model of osteoarthritis. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operated group (n=8); anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT)+normal saline (NS) group (n=8); and ACLT+ATNF group (n=8). The rats in the ACLT+ATNF group received subcutaneous injections of ATNF (20 μg/kg) for 12 weeks, while those in the ACLT+NS group received NS at the same dose for 12 weeks. All rats were euthanized at 12 weeks after surgery and specimens from the affected knees were harvested. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson's trichrome staining, and Mankin score assessment were carried out to evaluate the cartilage status and cartilage matrix degradation. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the cartilage molecular metabolism. Bone histomorphometry was used to observe the subchondral trabecular microstructure. Compared with the rats in the ACLT+NS group, histological and Mankin score analyses showed that ATNF treatment reduced the severity of the cartilage lesions and led to a lower Mankin score. Immunohistochemical and histomorphometric analyses revealed that ATNF treatment reduced the ACLT-induced destruction of the subchondral trabecular microstructure, and decreased MMP-13 expression. ATNF treatment may delay degradation of the extracellular matrix via a decrease in MMP-13 expression. ATNF treatment probably protects articular cartilage by improving the structure of the subchondral bone and reducing the degradation of the cartilage matrix.

Genes relevant with osteoarthritis by comparison gene expression profiles of synovial membrane of osteoarthritis patients at different stages.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify biological markers about osteoarthritis (OA) which is a polygenic disease by investigating the gene expression profiles of the synovium samples from early-stage and end-stage OA patients for the diagnosis and treatment of OA. METHODS: The gene expression profile of GSE32317 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, including 10 samples from early-stage OA patients and 9 samples from end-stage OA patients. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by Significance Analysis of Microarrays. The co-expression network of DEGs was constructed by Pearson correlation test. Then, modules in the constructed co-expression network were selected by MCODE Plugin. What's more, EASE (Expression Analysis Systematic Explorer) was used to define the significant functions and pathways in the identified modules. RESULTS: Total 419 DEGs were identified, among which 112 were up-regulated and 307 down-regulated. We selected 7 statistically significant modules with gene number above 10 and phenotypic correlation test of modules showed that all the modules had significant correlation with OA (p < 0.05). The genes of module 1, module 2 and module 7 were significantly related to immune system functions, protein glycosylation functions, bone, chondrocytes and cartilage functions, respectively. The most significant pathway in module 3 and module 5 was Wnt signal pathway, and in module 4 was Toll-like receptor signal pathway. CONCLUSIONS: DEGs related to immune response, cartilage development, protein glycosylation, muscle development, and DEGs participated in the Wnt signaling pathway and Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway might be the potential target genes for the OA treatment.

Molecular characteristics and cloning of two pepper genes AN2 and UPA20.

The complete coding sequences (CDSs) of "Yunnan Purple Pepper No.1" (Capsicum annuum L.) AN2 and UPA20 genes were amplified using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction on the basis of the conserved sequence information of some Solanaceae plants and known highly homologous pepper expressed sequence tags. The nucleotide sequence analysis of these 2 genes revealed that pepper AN2 gene encoded a protein of 263 amino acids that has high homology with the AN2-like protein of 4 species: tobacco, tomato, potato, and petunia. The UPA20 gene encoded a protein of 341 amino acids that has high homology with the proteins of 3 species: tobacco, petunia, and tomato. The tissue expression analysis indicated that the pepper AN2 gene was overexpressed in the pericarp and placenta; moderately in stems, flowers, and seeds; and weakly in the roots, leaves, and pericarp. The pepper UPA20 gene was overexpressed in the flowers and seeds; moderately expressed in the roots and stems; and weakly expressed in the leaves and placenta. Our findings might form the basis for further research on these 2 pepper genes.