Hmgcs2 is the hub gene in diabetic cardiomyopathy and is negatively regulated by Hmgcs2, promoting high glucose-induced cardiomyocyte injury.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) represents a major cause of heart failure and a large medical burden worldwide. This study screened the potentially regulatory targets of DCM and analyzed their roles in high glucose (HG)-induced cardiomyocyte injury. METHODS: Through GEO database, we obtained rat DCM expression chips and screened differentially expressed genes. Rat cardiomyocytes (H9C2) were induced with HG. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A synthase 2 (Hmgcs2) and microRNA (miR)-363-5p expression patterns in cells were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction or Western blot assay, with the dual-luciferase assay to analyze their binding relationship. Then, 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay, lactate dehydrogenase assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and various assay kits were applied to evaluate cell viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, inflammation responses, and oxidative burden. RESULTS: Hmgcs2 was the vital hub gene in DCM. Hmgcs2 was upregulated in HG-induced cardiomyocytes. Hmgcs2 downregulation increased cell viability, decreased TUNEL-positive cell number, reduced HG-induced inflammation and oxidative stress. miR-363-5p is the upstream miRNA of Hmgcs2. miR-363-5p overexpression attenuated HG-induced cell injury. CONCLUSIONS: Hmgcs2 had the most critical regulatory role in DCM. We for the first time reported that miR-363-5p inhibited Hmgcs2 expression, thereby alleviating HG-induced cardiomyocyte injury.

Magnetic recyclable heterogeneous catalyst Fe3O4/g-C3N4 for tetracycline hydrochloride degradation via photo-Fenton process under visible light.

Antibiotic pollution of water resources is a global problem, and the development of new treatments for destroying antibiotics in water is a priority research. We successfully manufactured recyclable magnetic Fe3O4/g-C3N4 through the electrostatic self-assembly method. Selecting tetracycline (TC) as the target pollutant, using Fe3O4/g-C3N4 and H2O2 developed a heterogeneous optical Fenton system to remove TC under visible light. Fe3O4/g-C3N4 was systematically characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, DRS, and electrochemical methods. The removal efficiency of 7% Fe3O4/g-C3N4 at pH = 3, H2O2 = 5 mM, and catalyst dosage of 1.0 g/L can reach 99.8%. After magnetic separation, the Fe3O4/g-C3N4 photocatalyst can be recycled five times with minimal efficiency loss. The excellent degradation performance of the prepared catalyst may be attributed to the proper coupling interface between Fe3O4 and g-C3N4 which promotes the separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons. Photogenerated electrons can also accelerate the conversion of Fe3+ to Fe2+, thereby producing more ˙OH. The new Fe3O4/g-C3N4 can be used as a raw material for advanced oxidation of water contaminated by refractory antibiotics.

Decreased expression of serum semaphorin 3B is associated with poor prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Semaphorin 3B (SEMA-3B), which belongs to the semaphorin family, has an important role in cell apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis. A previous study by our group revealed that SEMA-3B was downregulated in tumor tissues of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and exerts anti-motility and anti-invasion effects on tumor cells. However, the serum levels of SEMA-3B and their clinical significance have remained elusive; therefore, the aim of the present study was to monitor its expression in HCC and investigate its clinical significance. ELISA was used to determine the serum levels of SEMA-3B in 132 patients with HCC and 57 healthy individuals. The association between SEMA-3B and clinicopathological parameters was investigated. Serum SEMA-3B was indicated to be significantly decreased in patients with HCC as compared with that in the controls (P<0.05) and it was negatively associated with tumor size (P=0.039), encapsulation (P=0.002) and TNM stage (P=0.034). The prognosis of patients with low expression of SEMA-3B was poor. In conclusion, the results of the present study revealed that serum SEMA-3B is decreased in HCC and is negatively associated with prognosis; therefore, it may be used as a prognostic marker in HCC.

Sevoflurane attenuates brain damage through inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis in cerebral ischemia­reperfusion rats.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of sevoflurane post­conditioning in a rat brain cerebral ischemia­reperfusion (I/R) model and examine its possible mechanism. Rats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham control group (Sham), I/R group, sevoflurane group (Se), Toll­like receptor­4 (TLR4) inhibitor group (Tak­242), nuclear factor (NF)­κB inhibitor group (QNZ) and Sevoflurane post­conditioning combined with TLR4­NF­κB signaling pathway inhibitor group (Se + Tak­242). Morris water maze test and tetrazolium chloride staining were used to investigate the I/R injury. The nerve cell apoptosis and autophagy in cortical tissue were detected by TUNEL and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The expression of TLR4 protein in cortical tissue was observed by immunohistochemical staining. The expression of autophagy and apoptotic associated proteins in cortical tissues and the activity of TLR4­NF­κB signaling pathway were assayed by western blot analysis. Sevoflurane post­conditioning improved the learning and memory dysfunction caused by cerebral I/R injury. The cerebral infarction area, nerve cell apoptosis and formation of autophagic vacuoles were reduced after sevoflurane administration. The expression of light chain 3II/I, Beclin­1, Bad and Cleaved­Caspase­3 proteins were inhibited and the expression of Bcl­2 protein was upregulated after sevoflurane administration. Sevoflurane post­conditioning also inhibited the TLR4 protein and NF­κB phosphorylation, and increased inhibitor of kBα phosphorylation. The treatment effect of Tak­242 and QNZ groups were not significantly different compared with the Se group (P>0.05), and the Se + Tak­242 group had the best results. The present study demonstrated that sevoflurane post­conditioning could protect middle cerebral artery occlusion­induced brain injury rats by inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis, and that its mechanism is related to the TLR4­NF­κB signaling pathway.

Differentially methylated genomic fragments related with sexual dimorphism of rice pests, Sogatella furcifera.

Sogatella furcifera (Hovarth) is a major rice pest with sexual dimorphism. The objective of the current research was to monitor differentially cytosine methylation at CCGG sequences in male and female adults of S. furcifera to determine the association between gene methylation and sexual phenotypes using methylation-sensitive representational difference analysis. After the second subtractive hybridization, four differentially methylated DNA bands were obtained and sequenced. Ten different fragments were found. One fragment from the positive hybridization was 120 bp, and highly similar to the tramtrack genes from Nasonia vitripennis. Another fragment from the reverse hybridization was 414 bp, and homologous to the 28S rRNA gene of S. furcifera with a similarity rate as high as 99%. We also discussed how DNA methylation of tramtrack and 28S rRNA genes produced effects on sexual differentiation and development. These results provide potential evidence that DNA methylation of some genes may be related to sexual phenotype variations in S. furcifera and will facilitate future studies on the epigenetic mechanisms of insect sexual dimorphism.

[Imaging assessment of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis].

OBJECTIVE: To improve the understanding of recognizing and diagnosis of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), imaging assessment of neonates with NEC was analyzed retrospectively. METHOD: Data of 211 cases of NEC were retrospectively collected from the Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between Jan.1(st) 2006-Dec.31(st) 2011. RESULT: Analysis of abdominal X-ray of 211 cases showed that there were 40 cases (19.0%) who had no changes on each X-ray, 47 cases (22.3%) had improvement and 23 cases (10.9%) became worse. In the group of no changes, positive rate with good prognosis was 97.5% and with poor prognosis, it was 2.5%. In the group of improvement, positive rate with good prognosis was 97.9%, and the contrary was 2.1%. Positive rate with good prognosis was 56.5%, and the contrary was 43.5% in worse group. Chi-square analysis of the three groups showed χ(2) = 31.742, P < 0.01. Comparison of detection rate of pneumoperitoneum on abdominal X-ray (16.0%, 12/75) and Doppler US (1.3%, 1/75), χ(2) = 10.191, P < 0.05, portal pneumatosis on abdominal X-ray(1.3%, 1/75) versus Doppler US (12.0%,9/75), χ(2) = 6.857, P < 0.05. Surgical timing mostly corresponded to pneumoperitoneum (OR = 19.543) and intestinal obstruction (OR = 19.527) of abdominal X-ray. The logistic regression equation is y = -2.915-1.588x1+2.972x4+2.973x7 + 1.711x9 (χ(2) = 101.705, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Abdominal X-ray is the most important method of diagnosis of NEC, the group of deterioration of abdominal X-ray has obvious bad prognosis differ from no change group and better group. Comparison with abdominal X-ray and Doppler US, the former in pneumoperitoneum positive rate was higher than the latter, at the same time, portal pneumatosis on Doppler US is more sensitive to abdominal X-ray, the value of two imaging assessments both supplement each other. Surgical timing mostly corresponds to pneumoperitoneum and intestinal obstruction.