Genotype and Phenotype Characteristics of 58 Cases of Mitochondrial Epilepsy with Nuclear DNA Mutations in Children.

OBJECTIVE: Identify the genotype and clinical characteristics of mitochondrial epilepsy caused by nDNA mutations in Chinese children and explore the treatment and prognosis of the condition. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study conducted at a single center, including patients diagnosed with an established nDNA mutation-associated primary mitochondrial disease between October 2012 and March 2023 who also met the practical clinical definition of epilepsy published by the ILAE in 2014. RESULTS: Of the 58 patients identified, 74.1% had an onset before the age of 1 year and 63.8% had seizures as their initial symptom. Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) (31%) are the most common phenotypes. The most frequently observed MRI abnormalities include abnormal signal asymmetry in the bilateral basal ganglia and/or brainstem (34.7%), as well as brain atrophy, myelin sheath dysplasia, and corpus callosum dysplasia (32.7%). Of the 40 patients followed, seizure treatment was effective in 18 of the cases, while it was ineffective in 22. The mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDS) was found to be more difficult to control seizures than other phenotypes (P < 0.05). Additionally, the MDS was associated with a significantly higher mortality rate compared to alternative phenotypes (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The onset of mitochondrial epilepsy due to nDNA mutations is early and seizures are the most common initial symptom. DEE is the most common phenotype. Characteristic MRI abnormalities in the brain may be helpful in the diagnosis of primary mitochondrial disease. People with MDS typically face challenges in seizure control and have a poor prognosis.

SPI1 activates TGF-ß1/PI3K/Akt signaling through transcriptional upregulation of FKBP12 to support the mesenchymal phenotype of glioma stem cells.

Glioma stem cells (GSCs) exhibit diverse molecular subtypes with the mesenchymal (MES) population representing the most malignant variant. The oncogenic potential of Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1), an oncogenic transcription factor, has been established across various human malignancies. In this study, we explored the association between the SPI1 pathway and the MES GSC phenotype. Through comprehensive analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas glioma databases, along with patient-derived GSC cultures, we analyzed SPI1 expression. Using genetic knockdown and overexpression techniques, we assessed the functional impact of SPI1 on GSC MES marker expression, invasion, proliferation, self-renewal, and sensitivity to radiation in vitro, as well as its influence on tumor formation in vivo. Additionally, we investigated the downstream signaling cascades activated by SPI1. Our findings revealed a positive correlation between elevated SPI1 expression and the MES phenotype, which in turn, correlated with poor survival. SPI1 enhanced GSC MES differentiation, self-renewal, and radioresistance in vitro, promoting tumorigenicity in vivo. Mechanistically, SPI1 augmented the transcriptional activity of both TGF-ß1 and FKBP12 while activating the non-canonical PI3K/Akt pathway. Notably, inhibition of TGF-ß1/PI3K/Akt signaling partially attenuated SPI1-induced GSC MES differentiation and its associated malignant phenotype. Collectively, our results underscore SPI1's role in activating TGF-ß1/PI3K/Akt signaling through transcriptional upregulation of FKBP12, thereby supporting the aggressive MES phenotype of GSCs. Therefore, SPI1 emerges as a potential therapeutic target in glioma treatment.

Endoscopic transorbital approach for skull base lesions: a report of 16 clinical cases.

Due to the deep location, complex anatomy, and adjacent vital neurovascular structures, skull base surgery is challenging and requires specific approaches. The emerging endoscopic transorbital approach (eTOA) technique provides a new approach to the orbital content, spheno-orbital region, lateral cavernous sinus, and Meckel's cave. In this study, the clinical utility and effectiveness of the eTOA are reported. Sixteen cases who underwent the eTOA were included in the current study. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to tumor location: Group A (intraorbital, 6 cases), group B (spheno-orbital, 7 cases), and group C (cavernous sinus, and Meckel's cave, 3 cases). The clinical data and surgical results were analyzed. Eight meningiomas, 2 hemangiomas, 1 low-grade glioma, 1 instance of inflammatory hyperplasia tissue, 1 Langerhans cell histiocytosis, 1 epidermoid cyst, 1 trigeminal schwannoma, and 1 bone fibrosis hyperplasia were observed. The mean tumor diameter was 2.4 cm. A single case in Group A and Group C underwent biopsy (12.5%), and 1 case of fibrous dysplasia in Group B underwent sufficient orbit decompression (6.25%). The remaining 13 cases underwent gross total tumor resection (81.25%). No cerebral-spinal fluid leak or infection occurred. And no cosmetic problems or significant complications were observed during the follow-up. As a minimally invasive technique, the eTOA has unique advantages for carefully selected skull base lesions because of its direct route, short working distance, and distinct attack angle.

Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy 76: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Previous studies have suggested that the ACTL6B monoallelic variant is responsible for an autosomal dominant inherited intellectual developmental disorder with severe speech and ambulation deficits. The clinical phenotype of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy type 76 (DEE76) due to ACTL6B biallelic variants was first reported in 2019, with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. In this paper, we report on a child in China with DEE76 caused by a compound heterozygous variant of the ACTL6B gene, and we review the literature on ACTL6B gene variants causing DEE76 with complete clinical information. Including our case 1, the genotype and phenotypic characteristics of 18 children from 14 families are summarized. All 18 cases are autosomal recessive, including 12 with homozygous variants and six with compound heterozygous variants. A total of 17 variants have been reported so far, including 14 variants of the loss function. We summarize the clinical features using Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms. We find that DEE76, caused by the ACTL6B biallelic variant, is an early-onset drug-refractory epilepsy with global developmental delayHP:0001263, hypertoniaHP:0001276, and microcephalyHP:0000252, and imaging is characterized by brain delayed myelinationHP:0012448. Our case of DEE76 had not been reported when the patient underwent genetic testing in 2018, and the diagnosis was clarified by the reanalysis of the data 2 years later, being the first reported Chinese patient and the only one in which the application of a ketogenic diet for antiepileptic treatment may have been effective.

Risk Factors of Postoperative Meningitis in Lateral Ventricular Trigone Meningiomas: A Clinical Analysis of 64 Patients.

Purpose: Patients with intraventricular tumors are more susceptible to postoperative meningitis (POM) than other intracranial tumors. In this study, we explored the risk factors of POM in lateral ventricular trigone meningiomas (LVTMs). Methods: Clinical features of 64 patients with LVTMs were analyzed. Age, gender, body mass index, medical history, intraoperative blood loss (IBL), intraventricular drainage placement, surgical duration, tumor grade, postoperative tumor cavity hemorrhage, and tumor size were included in univariate and multivariate analyses of POM. Results: Of the 64 patients, 14 patients (21.9%) received diagnosis of POM. The univariate analysis revealed IBL ≥400 mL (odds ratio [OR], 9.012; p = 0.003), tumor size ≥50 cm3 (OR, 3.071; p = 0.080), and surgical duration ≥5 h (OR, 2.970; p = 0.085) were considered possible risk factors for POM (p < 0.10). Tumor size (R = 0.514) and surgical duration (R = 0.624) were significantly correlated with IBL (p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, only IBL was found to be an independent risk factor for POM. Conclusion: The IBL ≥400 mL is independently associated with the increased risk of POM in LVTM patients. Our results demonstrate the importance of controlling IBL for preventing POM, especially in large tumors and long surgeries.

Identification and characterization of novel MPC1 gene variants causing mitochondrial pyruvate carrier deficiency.

Pyruvate, the end product of glycolysis, is a key metabolic molecule enabling mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate synthesis and takes part in multiple biosynthetic pathways within mitochondria. The mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) plays a vital role in transporting pyruvate from the cytosol into the organelle. In humans, MPC is a hetero-oligomeric complex formed by the MPC1 and MPC2 paralogs that are both necessary to stabilize each other and form a functional MPC. MPC deficiency (OMIM#614741) due to pathogenic MPC1 variants is a rare autosomal recessive disease involving developmental delay, microcephaly, growth failure, and increased serum lactate and pyruvate. To date, two MPC1 variants in four cases have been reported, though only one with a detailed clinical description. Herein, we report three novel pathogenic MPC1 variants in six patients from three unrelated families, identified within European, Kuwaiti, and Chinese mitochondrial disease patient cohorts, one of whom presented as a Leigh-like syndrome. Functional analysis in primary fibroblasts from the patients revealed decreased expression of MPC1 and MPC2. We rescued pyruvate-driven oxygen consumption rate in patient's fibroblasts by reconstituting with wild-type MPC1. Complementing homozygous MPC1 mutant cDNA with CRISPR-deleted MPC1 C2C12 cells verified the mechanism of variants: unstable MPC complex or ablated pyruvate uptake activity. Furthermore, we showed that glutamine and beta-hydroxybutyrate were alternative substrates to maintain mitochondrial respiration when cells lack pyruvate. In conclusion, we expand the clinical phenotypes and genotypes associated with MPC deficiency, with our studies revealing glutamine as a potential therapy for MPC deficiency.

Comparative analysis of pituitary adenoma with and without apoplexy in pediatric and adolescent patients: a clinical series of 80 patients.

Pituitary adenomas (PAs) have a low incidence in pediatric and adolescent patients, and their clinical characteristics remain unclear. As a severe complication of PA, apoplexy was investigated in young patients in the present study. Eighty patients younger than 20 years with PAs who underwent surgery were included and divided into an apoplexy group and non-apoplexy group. The clinical data of these two groups were statistically analyzed and compared. The study included 33 boys and 47 girls, with a mean age of 16.9 years. There were six (7.5%) adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting, 13 (16.3%) growth hormone-secreting, 47 (58.7%) prolactin-secreting, and 14 (17.5%) non-functioning PAs. There were 34 (42.5%) patients in the apoplexy group and 46 (57.5%) patients in the non-apoplexy group. Pre-operatively, patients in the apoplexy group were more likely to have visual impairment (hazard ratio: 2.841, 95% confidence interval: 1.073-7.519; P = 0.033) and had poorer visual impairment scores than those in the non-apoplexy group (P = 0.027). Furthermore, a longer duration of symptoms before surgery was significantly correlated with a poorer visual outcome in the apoplexy group (R = - 1.204; P = 0.035). However, apoplexy was not associated with tumor type, tumor size, resection rate, or tumor recurrence. Tumor apoplexy is common in pediatric and adolescent patients with PAs and is associated with more severe preoperative visual deficits. Hence, the appropriate timing of surgical treatment may be important for rescuing visual function in young PA patients.

Clinical Attributes and Electroencephalogram Analysis of Patients With Varying Alpers' Syndrome Genotypes.

Alpers' syndrome is an early inceptive neurodegenerative disorder with a poor prognosis, characterized by developmental regression, intractable epilepsy, and hepatic dysfunction. Candidate genes, such as POLG, PARS2, CARS2, FARS2, NARS2, and GABRB2 are distinguished and registered following research on large cohorts that portray the clinical phenotype in such patients using expanded access to whole-exome sequencing (WES). In this study, we aimed to better understand the electroencephalogram (EEG) characteristics and clinical phenotype of different genotypes of the Alpers' syndrome, which are currently insufficiently studied. We conducted a study on seven patients with Alpers' syndrome who received treatment in Beijing Children's Hospital and had a detailed clinical EEG. Furthermore, a substantial literature search of the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials EMBASE was also conducted, which revealed a total of 22 reported cases between January 2008 to January 2021. We analyzed 29 cases of Alpers' syndrome caused by different gene variants, of which 22 cases were related to POLG gene mutation and 7 cases were related to PARS2, CARS2, FARS2, NARS2, and GABRB2 gene mutation, and found that patients with distinctive pathogenic variants exhibited comparable phenotypes and similar EEG patterns. And we defined EEG characteristics found specifically in Alpers' syndrome. Rhythmic high-amplitude delta with superimposed (poly) spikes (RHADS) is a characteristic EEG finding in the early stages of Alpers' syndrome and is a kind of epileptic phenomenon, which can provide clues for the early diagnosis of the disease.

Soundscape Evaluation Comparison of Outdoor Activity Space Between Gated and Open Communities.

In communities, outdoor activity space is utilized most often by older adults and children, and the soundscape is very important for its quality. For different community planning modes, such as gated and open communities, focus should be on different soundscape enhancement strategies for outdoor spaces. In this paper, typical samples of activity spaces in a gated community and in an open community were used. The comparison was conducted through soundscape evaluation including an analysis of the dominance of various sound sources, noise annoyance, and the perceptual dimensions of soundscape. The results showed that noise annoyance in the gated community was significantly lower than in the open community, although the noise level was of no significance between the two communities. The community planning mode moderated the relationships among the soundscape perception parameters between the gated and open communities. To reduce noise annoyance in the gated communities, each sound source should be considered; in open communities, traffic noise only should be considered. In a gated community, adding natural sounds to reduce noise annoyance may be a feasible intervention; in an open community, this is not necessary. Besides, there was no relationship between noise annoyance and Eventfulness in an open community, indicating that noise annoyance was insufficient to explain the complex sound environment of the community. China's community planning will gradually shift from a gated community to an open community, making the soundscape of outdoor activity spaces likely to change dramatically in the future. The findings will help urban designers and managers to adopt targeted strategies to improve the soundscape and quality of life of community-dwelling older adults and children.

Report of the Largest Chinese Cohort With SLC19A3 Gene Defect and Literature Review.

Thiamine metabolism dysfunction syndrome 2 (THMD2) is a rare metabolic disorder caused by SLC19A3 mutations, inherited in autosomal recessive pattern. As a treatable disease, early diagnosis and therapy with vitamin supplementation is important to improve the prognosis. So far, the reported cases were mainly from Saudi Arab regions, and presented with relatively simple clinical course because of the hot spot mutation (T422A). Rare Chinese cases were described until now. In this study, we investigated 18 Chinese THMD2 patients with variable phenotypes, and identified 23 novel SLC19A3 mutations, which expanded the genetic and clinical spectrum of the disorder. Meanwhile, we reviewed all 146 reported patients from different countries. Approximately 2/3 of patients presented with classical BTBGD, while 1/3 of patients manifested as much earlier onset and poor prognosis, including infantile Leigh-like syndrome, infantile spasms, neonatal lactic acidosis and infantile BTBGD. Literature review showed that elevated lactate in blood and CSF, as well as abnormal OXPHOS activities of muscle or skin usually correlated with infantile phenotypes, which indicated poor outcome. Brainstem involvement on MRI was more common in deceased cases. Thiamine supplementation is indispensable in the treatment of THMD2, whereas combination of biotin and thiamine is not superior to thiamine alone. But biotin supplementation does work in some patients. Genotypic-phenotypic correlation remains unclear which needs further investigation, and biallelic truncated mutations usually led to more severe phenotype.

Corrigendum: Cinical, Metabolic, and Genetic Analysis and Follow-Up of Eight Patients With HIBCH Mutations Presenting With Leigh/Leigh-Like Syndrome.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.605803.].

Molecular characterization and functional analysis of the bactericidal permeability-increasing protein/LPS-binding protein (BPI/LBP) from roughskin sculpin (Trachidermus fasciatus).

Bactericidal permeability-increasing protein (BPI) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding proteins (LBP) both play important roles in innate immunity against bacterial infection. Herein, we identified a novel full-length cDNA sequence of BPI/LBP from Trachidermus fasciatus (designated as TfBPI/LBP). The full-length cDNA sequence of TfBPI/LBP was 1594bp, which contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 1422bp encoding a secreted protein with 473 amino acid residues. Similar to BPI/LBPs from other teleost and mammals, the peptide of TfBPI/LBP contains an N-terminal BPI/LBP/CETP domain with an LPS-binding motif and a C-terminal BPI/LBP/CETP domain BPI2. Multiple alignments and phylogenetic analysis supported that TfBPI/LBP was a new member of the vertebrate BPI/LBP family. TfBPI/LBP gene was ubiquitously expressed in all detected tissues, with the most abundant in the liver, and could be significantly induced in the skin, blood, liver, spleen post LPS challenge. The recombinant N-terminal domain of TfBPI/LBP (designated as rTfBPI/LBPN) was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. Sugar binding assay showed that rTfBPI/LBPN could bind to LPS, peptidoglycan (PGN), and lipoteichoic acid (LTA), with the highest affinity to LPS. The results of bacteria binding and agglutinating assay revealed that rTfBPI/LBPN could bind and agglutinate to all of the 9 kinds of bacteria we used. Moreover, membrane integrity analysis indicated that rTfBPI/LBPN could increase the membrane permeability of bacteria. These results suggested that BPI/LBP may play crucial roles in host defense against microorganisms, possibly through non-selective bacterial recognition and induction of membrane penetration.

Cinical, Metabolic, and Genetic Analysis and Follow-Up of Eight Patients With HIBCH Mutations Presenting With Leigh/Leigh-Like Syndrome.

3-Hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase (HIBCH, NM_014362.3) gene mutation can cause HIBCH deficiency, leading to Leigh/Leigh-like disease. To date, few case series have investigated the relationship between metabolites and clinical phenotypes or the effects of treatment, although 34 patients with HIBCH mutations from 27 families have been reported. The purpose of this study was to analyze the phenotypic spectrum, follow-up results, metabolites, and genotypes of patients with HIBCH deficiency presenting with Leigh/Leigh-like syndrome and explore specific metabolites related to disease diagnosis and prognosis through retrospective and longitudinal studies. Applying next-generation sequencing, we identified eight patients with HIBCH mutations from our cohort of 181 cases of genetically diagnosed Leigh/Leigh-like syndrome. Six novel HIBCH mutations were identified: c.977T>G [p.Leu326Arg], c.1036G>T [p.Val346Phe], c.750+1G>A, c.810-2A>C, c.469C>T [p.Arg157*], and c.236delC [p.Pro79Leufs*5]. The Newcastle Pediatric Mitochondrial Disease Scale (NPMDS) was employed to assess disease progression and clinical outcomes. The non-invasive approach of metabolite analysis showed that levels of some were associated with clinical phenotype severity. Five (5/7) patients presented with elevated C4-OH in dried blood spots, and the level was probably correlated with the NPMDS scores during the peak disease phase. 2,3-Dihydroxy-2-methylbutyrate in urine was elevated in six (6/7) patients and elevated S-(2-caboxypropyl)cysteamine in urine was found in three patients (3/3). The median age at initial presentation was 13 months (8-18 months), and the median follow-up was 2.3 years (range 1.3-7.2 years). We summarized and compared with all reported patients with HIBCH mutations. The most prominent clinical manifestations were developmental regression/delay, hypotonia, encephalopathy, and feeding difficulties. We administered drug and dietary treatment. During follow-up, five patients responded positively to treatment with a significant decrease in NPMDS scores. Our research is the largest case series of patients with HIBCH mutations.

Acute effects of human protein S administration after traumatic brain injury in mice.

Despite years of effort, no effective acute phase treatment has been discovered for traumatic brain injury. One impediment to successful drug development is entangled secondary injury pathways. Here we show that protein S, a natural multifunctional protein that regulates coagulation, inflammation, and apoptosis, is able to reduce the extent of multiple secondary injuries in traumatic brain injury, and therefore improve prognosis. Mice subjected to controlled cortical impact were treated acutely (10-15 minutes post-injury) with a single dose of either protein S (1 mg/kg) or vehicle phosphate buffered saline via intravenous injection. At 24 hours post-injury, compared to the non-treated group, the protein S treated group showed substantial improvement of edema and fine motor coordination, as well as mitigation of progressive tissue loss. Immunohistochemistry and western blot targeting caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) along with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay revealed that apoptosis was suppressed in treated animals. Immunohistochemistry targeting CD11b showed limited leukocyte infiltration in the protein S-treated group. Moreover, protein S treatment increased the ipsilesional expression of aquaporin-4, which may be the underlying mechanism of its function in reducing edema. These results indicate that immediate intravenous protein S treatment after controlled cortical impact is beneficial to traumatic brain injury prognosis. Animal Use Protocols (AUPs) were approved by the University Committee on Animal Resources (UCAR) of University of Rochester Medical Center (approval No. UCAR-2008-102R) on November 12, 2013.

Molecular characterization and complement activating functional analysis of a new collectin(TfCol-11) from Trachidermus fasciatus.

The complement system is a crucial component of the innate immune system that links innate and adaptive immunity. CL-11, a protein similar to Mannose-binding lectin (MBL), plays significant role in the innate immune system in mammals and fish, serving as an initiator of the lectin pathway of complement activation. In this study, a CL-11 homolog (TfCol-11) was identified in roughskin sculpin (Trachidermus fasciatus), and its expression and role in immune responses were characterized. The open reading frame of TfCol-11 is 795 bp long, encoding a 264 amino acid polypeptide. The deduced amino acid sequence of this protein is highly homologous to sequences in other teleosts, and is similar to vertebrate CL-11, containing a canonical collagen-like region, a carbohydrate recognition domain, and a neck region. Recombinant TfCol-11 purified from Escherichia coli(E.coli) was able to bind to different microbes in a Ca2+-independent manner. Meanwhile, a 993 bp-long of partial MASP cDNA with a 96 bp 5' untranslated region (UTR) was also cloned from roughskin sculpin, containing 299 amino acids and consisting of three domains (CUB-EGF-CUB). qRT-PCR indicated that TfCol-11 and MASP mRNAs were predominately co-expressed in the liver. The temporal expression of TfCol-11 and MASP were both drastically up-regulated in the liver, skin, and blood by LPS challenge. Recombinant TfCol-11 purified from E.coli BL21(DE3) was able to agglutinate some bacteria in a Ca2+-dependent manner. In addition, an in vitro pull-down experiment demonstrated that TfCol-11 was able to bind to MASP, and in vivo experiments showed that TfCol-11 was associated with increased membrane attack complex (MAC) levels. It is therefore possible that TfCol-11 may plays a role in activating the complement system and in the defense against invading microorganisms in roughskin sculpin.

Intraoperative radiotherapy for glioblastoma: an international pooled analysis.

PURPOSE: To report the results of the first international pooled analysis of patients with glioblastoma treated with intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) in addition to standard of care therapy. METHODS: Data from 51 patients treated at five centers in Germany, China and Peru were analyzed. All patients underwent tumor resection followed by a single application of IORT (10-40 Gy, prescribed to the applicator surface) with low-energy X-rays. Thereafter, standard adjuvant radiochemotherapy and maintenance chemotherapy were applied. Factors of interest were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local PFS (L-PFS; defined as appearance of new lesions ≤1 cm to the cavity border) and distant PFS (D-PFS; lesions >1 cm). The same endpoints were estimated at 1-, 2- and 3-years using the Kaplan-Meier method. Additionally, rates and severity (as per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 5.0) of radionecrosis (RN) were analyzed. RESULTS: The median age was 55 years (range: 16-75) and the median Karnofsky Performance Status was 80 (20-100). At a median follow-up of 18.0 months (2-42.4), the median OS, PFS, L-PFS and D-PFS were 18.0 months (95% CI: 14.7-21.3), 11.4 months (95%CI: 7.58-15.22), 16 months (95%CI: 10.21-21.8) and 30.0 months (95%CI: 18.59 - 41.41), respectively. The estimated 1-, 2- and 3-year OS, PFS, L-PFS and D-PFS were 79.5%, 38.7% and 25.6%; 46.2%, 29.4%, and 5.9%; 60.9, 37.9%, and 12.6%; and 76.7%, 65.0%, and 39.0% respectively. First progression occurred locally in only 35.3% of cases. Grade 1 RN was detected in 7.8% and grade 3 in 17.6% of the patients. No grade 4 toxicity was reported and no treatment-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSION: Compared to historical data, this pooled analysis suggests improved efficacy and safety of IORT with low-energy X-rays for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Prospective data is warranted to confirm these findings.

Molecular characterization and functional analysis of the hepcidin gene from roughskin sculpin (Trachidermus fasciatus).

Hepcidin is a kind of cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptide that plays a vital role in host innate immune activity and iron regulation. Here, we report the molecular characterization and functional analysis of a novel hamp1 hepcidin isoforms Tf-Hep from roughskin sculpin, Trachidermus fasciatus. A cDNA fragment of 988 bp with an ORF of 273 bp was obtained. The coding sequence encodes for a signal peptide of 24 amino acids coupled with a prodomain of 40 amino acids and a mature peptide of 26 amino acids. Tissue distribution analysis indicated that Tf-Hep was most abundant in the liver. It could be significantly induced post lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge and heavy metal exposure. The mature peptide was expressed as a 6.061 kDa fusion protein in Pichia pastoris GS115. The active purified recombinant protein (rTf-Hep) exhibited a wide spectrum of potent antimicrobial activity in vitro against 4 Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Vibrio Anguillarum, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 4 Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus megaterium with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 5-80 µg/ml (0.825-13.2 µM). It also displayed high affinity to polysaccharides on bacteria surface including LPS, lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and peptidoglycan (PGN). We further revealed that rTf-hep was capable of agglutinating 6 of the 8 bacteria. All these results suggest that rTf-hep may be both an antibacterial effector and a pattern recognition molecule in fish immune defense. The in vivo bacterial treatment results demonstrated that rTf-Hep could significantly improve the survival rate of fish infected with V. anguillarum. Taken together, these data indicate an important role for Tf-hep in the innate immunity of Trachidermus fasciatus and suggest its potential application in aquaculture for increasing fish resistance to disease.

[Perspective research of the influence of caloric restriction combined with psychotherapy and chemotherapy associated by hybaroxia on the prognosis of patients suffered by glioblastoma multiforme].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of caloric restriction combined with psychotherapy and chemotherapy associated by hybaroxia on the prognosis of patients with intracranial glioblastoma multiforme. METHODS: This was a perspective, nonrandom, no-double-blinded controlled study. All patients underwent total resection during November 2007 to April 2009 at Beijing Tiantan Hospital and Beijing Tiantan Puhua Hospital. All diagnoses were confirmed by molecule pathology. While 23 patients in control group underwent resections and radiochemotherapy, 11 patients in experimental group were further treated by caloric restriction plus psychotherapy and chemotherapy-associated hybaroxia. The life spans were compared between two groups. RESULTS: The mean survival time of patients in experimental group was (38 ± 13) months versus (20 ± 12) months in control group. The survival time of patients in experimental group was significantly longer than that in control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Caloric restriction plus psychotherapy and chemotherapy-associated hybaroxia can apparently prolong the life span of patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

Inhibition of Nogo-66 receptor 1 enhances recovery of cognitive function after traumatic brain injury in mice.

Central nervous system (CNS) axons recover poorly following injury because of the expression of myelin-derived inhibitors of axonal outgrowth such as Nogo, myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), and oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp), all of which bind to the Nogo-66 receptor 1 (NgR1). Herein we examine the role of NgR1 in the recovery of motor and cognitive function after traumatic brain injury (TBI) using a controlled cortical impact (CCI) model in NgR1 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. Four weeks post-injury, scores on the Novel Object Recognition test were significantly increased in NgR1 KO mice compared with WT mice (p<0.05), but motor behavior test scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. Nissl staining showed that NgR1 KO mice had less brain injury volume 2 weeks after CCI (p<0.05). Histological analysis revealed more doublecortin (DCX+) cells (p<0.01) and more Ki-67+ cells in the contralateral dentate gyrus (DG) (p<0.05) 2 weeks after CCI in NgR1 KO mice than in WT. Furthermore, DCX+ cells still retained their longer processes in KO mice (p<0.01) 4 weeks following trauma. The number of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)+ cells did not differ between the two groups at 4 weeks post-trauma, but KO mice had higher numbers of cells that co-stained with NeuN, a marker of mature neurons. Increased transcription of growth-associated protein (GAP)-43 in both the injured and contralateral sides of the hippocampus (both p<0.05) was detected in NgR1 KO mice relative to WT. These data suggest that NgR1 negatively influences plasticity and cognitive recovery after TBI.