Perfluorooctane sulfonate causes pyroptosis and lipid metabolism disorders through ROS-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in grass carp hepatocyte.

The surfactant perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is widely produced worldwide. It is a persistent organic pollutant in the aquatic environment and poses a serious threat to aquatic organisms, as PFOS exposure can cause liver injury in a wide range of organisms. However, it is unclear whether PFOS exposure-induced hepatocellular injury in fish is associated with ROS-mediated activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. In this study, various PFOS concentrations were applied to L8824 cells, a cell line of grass carp hepatocytes. The detrimental impacts of PFOS on oxidative stress, pyroptosis, lipid metabolism, and the discharge of inflammatory factors were examined. MCC950 and N-acetylcysteine were employed to hinder the PFOS-stimulated activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the excessive generation of reactive oxygen species in L8824 cells, respectively. This study demonstrated that treatment with PFOS resulted in oxidative stress and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in L8824 cells. This led to increased expression levels of indicators related to pyroptosis, accompanied by the upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression as well as downregulation of anti-inflammatory factors. In addition, following PFOS exposure, the expression levels of genes related to lipid synthesis were upregulated and lipid catabolism-related genes were downregulated. Surprisingly, both N-acetylcysteine and MCC950 interventions significantly reduced PFOS-induced L8824 cell pyroptosis and lipid metabolism disorders. In conclusion, this research demonstrated that PFOS drives NLRP3 inflammasome activation through oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species overload. This in turn leads to pyroptosis and lipid metabolism disorders.

Sinomenine ameliorates rheumatoid arthritis by modulating tryptophan metabolism and activating aryl hydrocarbon receptor via gut microbiota regulation.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Sinomenine (SIN) is an effective immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory drug used for treating RA, but how SIN regulates gut microbiota to alleviate RA remains underexplored. To identify the critical gut microbial species and microbial metabolites associated with the RA-protective effects of SIN, the microbiota-dependent anti-RA effects of SIN were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, antibiotic treatment, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Metabolomics analysis, transcriptional analysis, and targeted bacteria/metabolites gavage were conducted to explore how SIN regulates gut microbiota to reduce the severity of RA. SIN could restore intestinal microbial balance by mainly modulating the abundance of Lactobacillus, and significantly relieve collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) symptoms in a gut microbiota-dependent manner. SIN significantly elevated microbial tryptophan metabolites indole-3-acrylic acid (IA), indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Tryptophan metabolites supplementation could activate aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and regulate Th17/Treg balance in CIA rats. Intriguingly, SIN relieved the arthritis symptoms involving the enrichment of two beneficial anti-CIA Lactobacillus species, L. paracasei and L. casei by mono-colonization. The promising therapeutic function of SIN was mostly attributed to the activation of AhR by explicitly targeting the Lactobacillus and microbial tryptophan metabolites. The intestinal bacterium L. paracasei and L. casei may be used to reduce the severity of CIA.

TiO2 nanotube arrays sensitized by copper (II) porphyrins with efficient interfacial charge transfer for the photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol.

In this paper, photocatalysts based on TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs) and TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) sensitized by Cu(II) meso-tetrakis(N-ethylpyridinium-4-yl) porphyrin (CuTEPyP) were synthesized and their structures were characterized by various analytical methods. The photocatalytic activities of both composites were then investigated through degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in aqueous solutions under visible light irradiation. It was found that CuTEPyP/TNTAs could eliminate 95% 4-NP within 4 h, which was considerably higher than the yield obtained with CuTEPyP/TNTs (56%) under the same conditions. Compared to CuTEPyP/TNTs, the improved photocatalytic activity of CuTEPyP/TNTAs can be ascribed to increased light absorption, high separation rate of photo-generated charge pairs, and efficient charge transfer. A plausible photocatalytic degradation mechanism involving hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radical anions and singlet oxygen species was also proposed. This work presents an efficient paradigm for eliminating 4-NP under visible light irradiation.

Regulation of LncRNA00067110 on Proliferation, Apoptosis and Melanins Production of B16-F10 Cells by Targeting Cabyr / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA with the more than 200 nucleotides. Several lncRNAs have been identified as the potential targets for cancer therapy. LncRNA00067110 is one of the differentially expressed genes in the transcriptome profiles of melanoma B16-F10 cells compared to normal mice melanocytes. To investigate whether lncRNA00067110 regulates the proliferation, apoptosis and melanogenesis of B16-F10 cells, the calcium-binding tyrosine phosphorylation regulated protein (Cabyr) target gene was predicted by LncTar and verified by dual luciferase activities. The regulating function of lncRNA00067110 was investigated by the analysis of transcriptome profiles and to detect the proliferation, apoptosis and melanin production of B16-F10 cells transfected by the overexpression plasmids of lncRNA00067110. The results showed that the relationship of lncRNA00067110 targeting Cabyr, the mRNA and protein levels of proliferation (MEK/ERK/MNK/CREB) and melanogenesis-related genes (TYR family and CREB) were significantly down-regulated, while the mRNA and protein levels of apoptosis-related genes (AKT and Bcl-2) were up-regulated in B16-F10 cells with lncRNA00067110 overexpression. The transcriptome profile of B16-F10 cells with lncRNA00067110 overexpression showed that 17 genes were differentially expressed, among which Cabyr was up-regulated. Furthermore, the effect of lncRNA00067110 on the phenotypes of cell proliferation and apoptosis were verified. The results suggested that lncRNA00067110 might be a novel target for the treatment of melanoma by targeting Cabyr, which regulate the expression of related genes to inhibit the proliferation and melanogenesis, as well as to induce the apoptosis of B16-F10 cells.

Intrinsic apoptosis and cytokine induction regulated in human tonsillar epithelial cells infected with enterovirus A71.

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) has emerged as a clinically important neurotropic virus following poliovirus eradication. Recent studies have shown that human tonsillar epithelial cell lines (UT-SCC-60A and UT-SCC-60B) were susceptible to EV-A71, suggesting that human tonsillar crypt epithelium could be important in EV-A71 pathogenesis. However, the mechanism about how EV-A71 infects the upper oro-digestive tract remains largely unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the human tonsillar epithelial cells infected with EV-A71 underwent apoptotic, in which cytochrome c was released from the mitochondria to the cytosol and caspase-9 was activated, while caspase-2 and -8 were not cleaved or activated during the infection. A selective inhibitor of caspase-9, Z-LEHD-FMK, inhibited the cleavage of the executioner caspase-3 and -7, indicating that only mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway was activated in EV-A71-infected tonsillar epithelial cells. No evidence of pyroptosis or necroptosis was involved in the cell death. EV-A71 infection induced interferon, pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including IFN-ß, IL-6, CCL5, and TNF-α in tonsillar epithelial cells, which may play a critical role in EV-A71-caused herpangina. Our data indicated that the induction of the cytokines was partially regulated by the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway. The findings unveiled the host response to EV-A71 and its regulation mechanism, and will further our understanding the significance about the tonsillar crypt epithelium as the initial and primary portal in viral pathogenesis for EV-A71 infection.

Enterovirus A71 2B Inhibits Interferon-Activated JAK/STAT Signaling by Inducing Caspase-3-Dependent Karyopherin-α1 Degradation.

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is a major pathogen that causes the hand, foot, and mouth disease, which could be fatal with neurological complications in children. The underlying mechanism for the severe pathogenicity remains obscure, but impaired or aberrant innate immunity is considered to play a key role in viral pathogenesis. We reported previously that EV-A71 suppressed type I interferon (IFN) responses by inducing degradation of karyopherin-α1 (KPNA1), a component of the p-STAT1/2 complex. In this report, we showed that 2B, a non-structural protein of EV-A71, was critical to the suppression of the IFN-α-induced type I response in infected cells. Among viral proteins, 2B was the only one that was involved in the degradation of KPNA1, which impeded the formation of the p-STAT1/2/KPNA1 complex and blocked the translocation of p-STAT1/2 into the nucleus upon IFN-α stimulation. Degradation of KPNA1 induced by 2B can be inhibited in the cells pre-treated with Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase-3 inhibitor, or siRNA targeting caspase-3, indicating that 2B-induced degradation of KPNA1 was caspase-3 dependent. The mechanism by which 2B functioned in the dysregulation of the IFN signaling was analyzed and a putative hydrophilic domain (H1) in the N-terminus of 2B was characterized to be critical for the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol for the activation of pro-caspase-3. We generated an EV-A71 infectious clone (rD1), which was deficient of the H1 domain. In rD1-infected cells, degradation of KPNA1 was relieved and the infected cells were more sensitive to IFN-α, leading to decreased viral replication, in comparison to the cells infected with the virus carrying a full length 2B. Our findings demonstrate that EV-A71 2B protein plays an important role in dysregulating JAK-STAT signaling through its involvement in promoting caspase-3 dependent degradation of KPNA1, which represents a novel strategy employed by EV-A71 to evade host antiviral innate immunity.

DKK3 Regulates Melanogenesis in Melanocytes of Alpaca / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Dickkopf-3 (DKK3) , as a critical inhibitor of the Wnt/p-catenin signaling pathway, may he involved in melanogenesis.In the current study, we investigated the effects of DKK3 on melanogenesis in melanocytes of alpaca.Overexpression of DKK3 in alpaca melanocytes, the expression of Wntl, Lefl , Myc and the major target genes termed microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (M1TF) and its downstream genes, including tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) and tyrosinase- related protein 2 (TYRP2) were significantly decreased at both mRNA and protein levels (P<0.05); total alkali melanin, pheomelanin and eumelanin were decreased by 80.30%, 72.17% and 64.60% (P <0.05), respectively.In contrast, in the melanocytes transfected with siRNA-DKK3 (a small interference RNA targeting DKK3) , the expression of Wntl, Lefl, Myc, MITF, TYR, TYRPl and TYRP2 were significantly increased at both mRNA and protein levels (P<0.05) ; total alkali melanin, pheomelanin and eumelanin were significantly increased by 1.65 folds, 1.25 folds and 1.21 folds (P< 0.05) , respectively.These results indicate that DKK3 regulates melanogenesis in alpaca melanocytes via the Wnt/p-catenin signaling pathway and down-regulates MITF.

Arsenic Trioxide Combining Leflunomide Activates Nrf2-ARE-HO-1 Signaling Pathway and Protects Heart Xenografts / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of arsenic trioxide (As@*METHODS@#Transplantation of LVG hamster hearts to Lewis rats was performed by anastomosis of vessels in the neck using end-to-end anastomosis with a non-suture cuff technique. Four groups of recipient rats (n=6 in each) were treated with normal saline (control), As@*RESULTS@#Expression of Nrf2-ARE-HO-1 signaling pathway was upregulated in heart xenografts in rats treated with As@*CONCLUSION@#Combination treatment with As

Effect of Mixed Inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal on Growth and Chemical Composition of Aucklandia lappa Seedlings / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the synergistic effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal（AM） fungi mixed inoculation on the growth，physiological and biochemical characteristics，root biomass and terpenoid component accumulation of Aucklandia lappa seedlings，so as to provide a reference for the combination and application of the dominant complementary effect mycorrhizal fungi. Method:The effect of different AM fungi combined with inoculation on the root mycorrhizal infection rate，plant growth，physiological and biochemical characteristics，root biomass，costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone of A. lappa seedlings were determined by pot inoculation at room temperature. Result:It was found that AM fungi could form good mycorrhizal symbiosis with the roots of A. lappa.The formation of mycorrhizal symbiosis system could increase the chlorophyll content of A. lappa leaves，increase the activities of catalase（CAT），peroxidase （POD），superoxide dismutase （SOD），reduce the content of malondialdehyde（MDA），and promote photosynthesis of A. lappa. Compared with CK group，AM fungus treatment could significantly promote the accumulation of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone，and the accumulation of its metabolites，costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone，into roots during the symbiotic cultivation of A. lappa seedlings，indirectly improving the quality of medicines and yield of alantolactone. Conclusion:Inoculation of AM fungi can improve the root mycorrhizal viability，increase the absorption of nutrients and promote the growth of woody incense.The mixed inoculation treatment of S2，S4 and S5 had the best mycorrhizal effect in artificial cultivation，and the growth and medicinal quality of A. lappa were the best，which provided technical support for the application and popularization of A. lappa mycorrhizal biotechnology.

Effect of Different Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Combinations and Inoculation Periods on Rhizosphere Soil Physicochemical Properties and Microbial Quantity of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis Seedlings / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To study the effects of different arbuscular mycorrhizal （AM） fungi combinations on rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties and microbial quantity in the seedlings of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis at different inoculation periods，so as to lay a foundation for cultivating high-quality P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. Method:The spore density，infection rate，nutrient and enzyme activity in the soil around the roots of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis seedlings under different AM fungi combinations and different inoculation periods were analyzed by the greenhouse pot inoculation trials and soil agrochemical analysis methods. Result:The infection rate of different AM fungi treatment groups was more than 80% in different inoculation periods，and the spore density was higher than control （CK） group in some periods. It reflected that the relationship between AM fungi and roots of Paris polyphylla seedlings was favorable. The content of nitrogen in the soil decreased，but the content of available P，available K and soil pH increased. The soil nutrients in the cultivar one-year seedlings and wild seedlings were higher. The total number of soil microorganisms showed that bacteria>actinomycetes>fungi. The cultivar two-year seedlings with AM fungi combinations of S3，S5 and S8 had better soil structure and higher biomass carbon content. The growth rates of phosphatase and protease activity were higher in the soil，but catalase activity was lowest. In the treatment groups S2，S3，S4，S5 and S6，the soil enzyme activities of the wild seedlings and one-year-old seedlings were best. Conclusion:Different AM fungal treatment groups and different inoculation periods had certain effects on rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties and microbial quantity in the seedlings of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis， which provided a technical basis for the cultivation of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis.

Effect of Field Inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Rhizosphere Soil Structure of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza（AM） fungi inoculation on the rhizosphere soil of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis under field conditions，so as to provide a reference for the standardized cultivation and development of high-quality varieties of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. Method:The effects of inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi on the rhizosphere soil structure of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were observed through a combination of small-scale field inoculation test and laboratory analysis. Soil indexes were determined by soil agrochemical methods. Result:The treatment groups inoculated with exogenous AM fungi showed a regulatory effect on the infection rate and intensity of AM fungi infection in the root system of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. After treatment with AM fungi，the soil pH was basically not affected，and the contents of organic matter，available nitrogen，available phosphorus，and available potassium increased. Moreover，the number of fungi decreased，the number of bacteria and actinomycetes increased，and soil enzyme activities increased. The results of correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation among the soil physical and chemical indexes，especially the bacterial number and the three types of phosphatases showed extremely significant correlation （r=0.849，0.800，0.804，P<0.01）. Conclusion:The application of the two mixed fungicides could increase the number of microorganisms and enzyme activities in the rhizosphere of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis， and there was a certain synergy effect among the soil factors. Among the three field trials，the effects in Anshun，Guizhou and Wanzhou，Chongqing were more ideal，which provided a theoretical and practical basis for large-scale promotion of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis in the field.

Effect of Different Exogenous Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Combinations on Rhizosphere Soil Environment of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of different arbuscular mycorrhizal （AM） fungi combinations on the rhizospheric environment of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis. Method:The different combinations of 12 arbuscular mycorrhizal （AM） fungi species were inoculated to the seedlings P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis planted in the sterilized soil under the condition of room temperature to investigate their infection abilities and effects on the root activity，soil nutrient contents，enzyme activities and microbial community structure of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis rhizospheric environment. Result:The inoculation of exogenous AM fungi can regulate the spore densities and infection rate of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis rhizosphere AM to improve the root activity， the exogenous AM fungi can also regulate the nutrient contents in the rhizosphere soil，increase the contents of total glomalin and easily extracted glomalin，increase the abilities of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis to absorb the available N，P and K，and increase the enzyme activities in the rhizosphere soil， improve the microbial community structure， and improve the rhizospheric environment of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis by increasing the bacteria/fungi and bacteria/actinomycetes quantity ratios and reducing the fungi/actinomycetes quantity ratio. Conclusion:Different AM fungal treatment groups had certain effects on the physicochemical properties and microbial community structure of the rhizosphere soil of P.polyphylla var. yunnanensis，which provided a technical basis for the cultivation of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis.

Effect of Different Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Soil Nutrients in Rhizosphere Soil of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis Seedlings / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To clarify the effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal （AM） fungi on the rhizosphere soil nutrient content，AM fungi infection rate and total rhizome saponins content of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis under symbiosis culture. Method:The changes in the root AM fungi infection rate，rhizosphere soil nutrient content，total rhizome saponins content of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis and the relationship of the rhizosphere soil factors，the infection rate and the total rhizome saponins content after AM fungi inoculation were analyzed by the method of combining room temperature pot inoculation and data analysis. Result:As compared with the CK group，the root AM fungi infection rate of the AM inoculation group was significantly enhanced （P<0.05），the content of easily extractable glomalin，total glomalin，and total nitrogen increased significantly，while available potassium content and pH significantly decreased. After inoculation with AM fungi，the contents of total phosphorus，available phosphorus，available nitrogen，ammonium nitrogen，nitrate nitrogen，available potassium，and organic matter in the rhizosphere soil of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis showed significant differences as compared with the CK group. The soil nutrient status was improved，and the total saponin content in the rhizome of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis was increased. Conclusion:Inoculation with AM fungi can improve the rhizosphere soil nutrient status of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis，promote the nutrient transformation in the rhizosphere soil，promote the growth of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis，and improve the quality of medicinal herbs.

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation on Physical and Chemical Properties of Rhizosphere Soil of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the infection rate of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis at different periods，the changes of mineral nutrients in rhizosphere soil and the correlation among the factors under different arbuscular mycorrhizal （AM） fungi conditions. Method:28 kinds of AM fungi were inoculated into the seedlings of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis by single factor pot experiment. The samples were collected in August （fruit ripening period） and November （senescence period） to analyze the infection rate and the physical and chemical properties of rhizosphere soil. Result:The mycorrhizal infection rate of each treatment group was 75%-100% in the fruit ripening period and senescence period. The contents of easily extracted glomalin and total glomalin in rhizosphere soil increased to different degrees in these two periods as compared with CK group， the pH of rhizosphere soil in the two treatment groups showed an increasing trend， the content of organic matter in rhizosphere soil decreased significantly in the fruit ripening period in all the treatment groups，and the organic matter in rhizosphere soil in the senescence period showed no significant differences. The total N and K contents in rhizosphere soil decreased in both periods， and the other physical and chemical properties of rhizosphere soil increased or decreased without significant change regularity. Correlation analysis showed that the infection rate was correlated with the physical and chemical properties of rhizosphere soil to a certain degree. Conclusion:Inoculation of AM fungi can affect the physical and chemical properties of rhizosphere soil of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis to some extent，and provide reference value for the application of AM fungi in the cultivation of traditional Chinese medicine.

HPLC fingerprint of Lomatogonium rotatum / 中草药

Objective To study the fingerprints of 15 batches of Mongolian medicinal materials of Lomatogonium rotatum collected from different places by HPLC, and to evaluate the quality of the medicinal materials of L. rotatum by similarity calculation. Methods A total of 15 batches of ribbed flowers were collected by HPLC. Chromatographic column: YMC C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), mobile phase: acetonitrile-0.4% phosphoric acid-methanol, gradient elution, flow rate was 0.8 mL/min, detection wavelength was 254 nm, column temperature was 30 ℃. The similarity of fingerprints was evaluated by using the “Similarity Evaluation System of Chromatographic Fingerprints of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2004A Edition”. Results The fingerprints of L. rotatum of Mongolian medicine were established, 15 common peaks were identified, five common peaks were identified, and the similarity among 15 batches of L. rotatum and the fingerprints of control was in the range of 0.881—0.997. The fingerprints of erect column flowers have good precision, stability and reproducibility. Conclusion The characteristic fingerprint of L. rotatum was established for the first time, which not only provides a new scientific basis for the identification and quality control of L. rotatum, but also has important significance for the quality evaluation of L. rotatum.

[Oxidative Capacity of the PM10 and PM2.5 in Beijing During 2014 APEC].

In order to evaluate the effect of the joint air pollution prevention and control program on the toxicity of the airborne particles in Beijing during the APEC conference, we collected the PM10 and PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters of less than 10 µm and 2.5 µm respectively) from October to December in the urban district of Beijing, and analyzed the oxidative capacity of the particles by plasmid scission assay. The results indicated that the oxidative capacity of PM10 was higher than that of PM2.5 during the APEC conference, and that the damage rate of supercoiled DNA by the samples increased with their experimental dose levels. The TD30 (toxic dose of PM causing 30% of plasmid DNA damage, unit: µg·mL-1) was used to indicate the oxidative capacity and the lower TD30 values indicated higher oxidative capacity. The TD30 values of the PM samples before, during, and after APEC conference displayed a descending order of during APEC (November) >before APEC (October) >after APEC (December), which indicated a decreasing order of the PM oxidative capacity of after APEC (November) >before APEC (October) >during APEC. The TI (toxic index) was further introduced to represent the human exposure risk of particles, which was represented by the product of the mass concentration of PM (µg·m-3) and the DNA damage percentages under the PM dose of 250 µg·mL-1 (%). Compared with the TI values of previous years, the TI value of the 2014 APEC PM was lower than that of 2004, but higher than that of the 2008 Olypic Games, suggesting that the exposure risk of airborne particles decreased obviously with the increase of policy control strength.

Fine mapping and whole-exome sequencing of a familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy family.

Familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy (FCMTE) is an autosomal dominant epilepsy syndrome. Four loci, including 8q24 (FCMTE1), 2p11.1-q12.2 (FCMTE2), 5p15.31-p15.1 (FCMTE3), and 3q26.32-3q28 (FCMTE4) were previously reported. Herein, we report a new FCMTE1 pedigree from Chinese population with its clinical and genetic study results. Whole genome scan was performed to identify the causative gene region and copy number variants. Whole-exome sequencing was used to identify the causative gene. There were twelve affected members alive in this FCMTE1 pedigree. Nine affected members had both cortical myoclonic tremor and epilepsy, while three affected members had only cortical myoclonic tremor. Electrophysiologic examinations manifested giant somatosensory evoked potentials and long-latency cortical reflex in some affected members. Whole genome scan identified a 20.4 Mb causative gene region at 8q22.3-q24.13. No copy number variants were identified as the causative mutation. Whole-exome sequencing identified a co-segregated mutation (c.206A>T; p.Y69F) in the SLC30A8 gene. However, the evidence supporting this gene as the causative gene of FCMTE1 is not enough. We report the first Chinese FCMTE1 pedigree. No copy number variants, point mutation or small insertion/deletion were detected in the identified region that showed an association with FCMTE1. Further studies could focus on other possible genetic mechanisms while the association between the SLC30A8 and FCMTE1 needs further evidence.

Antitumor effects of mutant endostatin are enhanced by Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotides in UM-UC-3 bladder cancer cell line / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Endostatin is a potent inhibitor of tumor angiogenesis. In the preliminary studies, we developed a mutant endostatin containing Arg-Gly-Asp-Arg-Gly-Asp (RGDRGD) sequences. In this study, we compared the antitumor effects of mutant endostatin and Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotides both in combination and individually.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The artificially synthesized Bcl-2 ASODN (antisense oligonucleotides) included a translation-initiation site and was transfected into the bladder cancer cells by Lipofectamine. Cell growth was investigated by the tumor cell growth chart, MTT assay, caspase-3 activity detection assay, AO/EB fluorescein stain, and the annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection assay. In the in vivo study, UM-UC-3 bladder cancer cells were subcutaneously implanted into nude mice and the growth of tumor was examined. The ultrastructure of the tumor tissues in the treated and control groups were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cell growth chart showed that the cell population of the treated combination group decreased by 52.04% compared to the control group. The inhibition rate of the treated combination group was (79.66 ± 6.79)%, whereas those of the individual ASODN and ES groups were (53.39 ± 3.22)% and (50.22 ± 5.46)% respectively. In the caspase-3 activity detection using AO/EB fluorescein stain and annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection assay, the co-inhibitory effect was higher than the individual inhibitory effects (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the inhibition of the solid tumor growth in the in vivo study.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our findings indicated that Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotides enhance the antitumor effects of mutant endostatin both in vitro and in vivo. We noted the synergistic effects of Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotides combined with mutant endostatin.</p>

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange over metalloporphyrins supported on TiO2 Degussa P25.

The photocatalytic activity of meso-tetraphenylporphyrins with different metal centers (Fe, Co, Mn and Cu) adsorbed on TiO(2) (Degussa P25) surface has been investigated by carrying out the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible and ultraviolet light irradiation. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance UV (DRS-UV-vis) and infrared spectra. Copper porphyrin-sensitized TiO(2) photocatalyst (CuP-TiO(2)) showed excellent activity for the photodegradation of MO whether under visible or ultraviolet light irradiation. Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) charges analysis showed that methyl orange ion is adsorbed easier by CuP-TiO(2) catalyst due to the increase of induced interactions.