Revealing the characteristics of ZIKV infection through tissue-specific transcriptome sequencing analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recently, Zika virus (ZIKV) re-emerged in India and was potentially associated with microcephaly. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ZIKV pathogenesis remain to be explored. RESULTS: Herein, we performed a comprehensive RNA-sequencing analysis on ZIKV-infected JEG-3, U-251 MG, and HK-2 cells versus corresponding uninfected controls. Combined with a series of functional analyses, including gene annotation, pathway enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, we defined the molecular characteristics induced by ZIKV infection in different tissues and invasion time points. Data showed that ZIKV infection and replication in each susceptible organ commonly stimulated interferon production and down-regulated metabolic-related processes. Also, tissue-specific immune responses or biological processes (BPs) were induced after ZIKV infection, including GnRH signaling pathway in JEG-3 cells, MAPK signaling pathway in U-251 MG cells, and PPAR signaling pathway in HK-2 cells. Of note, ZIKV infection induced delayed antiviral interferon responses in the placenta-derived cell lines, which potentially explains the molecular mechanism by which ZIKV replicates rapidly in the placenta and subsequential vertical transmission occurs. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these data may provide a systemic insight into the pathogenesis of ZIKV infection in distinct human tissue-derived cell lines, which is likely to help develop prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against ZIKV infection.

Aberrant functional connectivity in insular subregions in somatic depression: a resting-state fMRI study.

BACKGROUND: Somatic depression (SD) is different from non-somatic depression (NSD), and insular subregions have been associated with somatic symptoms. However, the pattern of damage in the insular subregions in SD remains unclear. The aim of this study was to use functional connectivity (FC) analyses to explore the bilateral ventral anterior insula (vAI), bilateral dorsal anterior insula (dAI), and bilateral posterior insula (PI) brain circuits in SD patients. METHODS: The study included 28 SD patients, 30 NSD patients, and 30 matched healthy control (HC) subjects. All participants underwent 3.0 T resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. FC analyses were used to explore synchronization between insular subregions and the whole brain in the context of depression with somatic symptoms. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to assess relationships between FC values in brain regions showing significant differences and the total and factor scores on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD17). RESULTS: Compared with the NSD group, the SD group showed significantly decreased FC between the left vAI and the right rectus gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, and right angular gyrus; between the right vAI and the right middle cingulate cortex, right precuneus, and right superior frontal gyrus; between the left dAI and the left fusiform gyrus; and between the right dAI and the left postcentral gyrus. Relative to the NSD group, the SD group exhibited increased FC between the left dAI and the left fusiform gyrus. There were no differences in FC between bilateral PI and any brain regions among the SD, NSD, and HC groups. Within the SD group, FC values between the left vAI and right rectus gyrus were positively correlated with cognitive impairment scores on the HAMD17; FC values between the right vAI and right superior frontal gyrus were positively related to the total scores and cognitive impairment scores on the HAMD17 (p < 0.05, uncorrected). CONCLUSIONS: Aberrant FC between the anterior insula and the frontal and limbic cortices may be one possible mechanism underlying SD.

[Effects of shikonin on the proliferation and apoptosis of HL-60 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of shikonin for inducing the apoptosis of human promyelocytic leukemia cell HL-60. METHODS: The effects of shikonin on the HL-60 cell proliferation were detected using MTT. The apoptosis rate was analyzed by Annexin-V/PI double staining. The expression level of the bcl-2 gene was detected using semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), thus analyzing the correlation between the bcl-2 expression level and the apoptosis of HL-60. RESULTS: Shikonin could inhibit the proliferation of HL-60 cells with the concentration range of 1-8 microg/mL in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Two microg/mL shikonin could induce the apoptosis of HL-60 cells in a time-dependent manner. The expression level of bcl-2 was obviously down-regulated at 2 microg/mL shikonin. CONCLUSIONS: Shikonin could induce the apoptosis of HL-60 cells. Its mechanism was correlated with down-regulation of the expression level of bcl-2.

Multi-central clinical research into treating 80 cases of chronic thrombocytopenia with qi-supplementing and yin-nourishing therapy and western medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To probe the effects of qi-supplementing and yin-nourishing therapy (blood-increasing decoction and blood generating powder) on chronic thrombocytopenia. METHODS: Two hundred patients with chronic thrombocytopenia were randomly divided into control (n = 100) and test groups (n = 100) with Amino-polypeptide as a basic treatment for both. Test group patients consumed a blood-increasing decoction and blood-generating powder for 1-3 months. Improvements in platelet counts and TCM syndrome were observed. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-four (80 in the test group and 84 in the control group) of 189 total participants were treated for 3 months. The total effective rate in improving TCM syndrome was 95.00% in the test group and 79.76% in the control group (P < 0.05). There was significant difference (P < 0.05) in the accumulated score of TCM syndrome between the two groups treated at different time points. The total effective rate of platelet counts was 86.25% in the test group and 59.52% in the control group (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in platelet counts before and after treatment in the two groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant differences in platelet count between the two groups treated for 1-2 months; however, a significant difference was found between the two groups after treatment for 3 months (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: After a 3-month treatment of chronic thrombocytopenia patients with qi-supplementing and yin-nourishing therapy, TCM syndrome was improved and platelet counts increased with no obvious side effects, and the quality of life of the participants was enhanced with noticeable long-term curative effects.