[Regulative effects of endogenous sulfur dioxide on oxidant stress in myocardium of rat with sepsis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the modulating effect of endogenous sulfur dioxide (SO2) on the ba-lance of oxidation/reduction in the cecal-ligation-and-puncture-induced septic rat myocardium. METHODS: Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into control group, SO2group, sepsis group and sepsis + SO2group. The levels of procalcitonin (PCT), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTn Ⅰ) and fatty acid binding protein (FABP) in plasma in each group of the rats were measured; The level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), level of nitric oxide (NO), activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO), activity of hydroxyl free radical (·OH) and level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in myocardial tissue were measured; Total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), activity of catalase (CAT), level of cytochrome oxidase (CO), level of glutathione (GSH), level of glutathione oxidase (GSH-px) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in myocardial tissue were measured. RESULTS: The level of PCT in plasma in the rats with sepsis increased from (0.93±0.26) µg/L to (2.45±0.52) µg/L (P < 0.01), and decreased to (1.58±0.36) µg/L after the intervention of sulfur dioxide donor (P < 0.01). In sepsis, the plasma CK-MB, cTn Ⅰ and FABP levels in the rats increased respectively from (14.46±6.48) µg/L, (151.25±30.14) ng/L and (2.72±0.65) µg/L to (23.72±7.72) µg/L, (272.78±52.70) ng/L and (5.22±1.01) µg/L (P all < 0.01), and decreased to (16.74±3.63) µg/L, (184.86±37.72) µg/L and (3.31±0.84) µg/L (all P < 0.05) after the intervention of sulfur dioxide donor. The level of H2O2, level of NO, activity of MPO, activity of ·OH and level of MDA in myocardial tissue in the rats with sepsis increased respectively from (67.26±8.77) mmol/g, (38.39±6.93) µmol/g, (358.25±68.12) U/g, (648.42±93.69) U/ mg and (4.55±0.96) µmol/g to (111.45±17.35) mmol/g, (51.04±5.91) µmol/g, (465.88±76.76) U/g, (873.75±123.47) U/mg and (7.25±0.86) µmol/g (all P < 0.01), and decreased respectively to (75.99±10.52) mmol/g, (39.39±7.80) µmol/g, (393.17±51.5) U/g, (710.54±106.33) U/mg and (5.16±0.65) µmol/g after the intervention of the sulfur dioxide donor (all P < 0.05). The activity of T-AOC, activity of CAT, level of CO, level of GSH, level of GSH-px and activity of SOD in myocardial tissue in the rats with sepsis increased respectively from (2.07±0.37) U/mg, (169.25±36.86) U/g, (1.35±0.32) µmol/g, (103.51±16.62) µmol/g, (38.40±7.97) µmol/g and (38.50±8.30) U/mg to (1.42±0.39) U/mg, (98.44±26.56) U/g, (0.96±0.21) µmol/g, (68.05±7.35) µmol/ g, (23.83±5.04) µmol/g and (23.11±4.63) U/mg (P all < 0.01), and increased respectively to (1.83±0.37) U/mg, (146.14±31.63) U/g, (1.28±0.20) µmol/g, (92.10±11.84) µmol/g, (37.16±3.01) µmol/g and (37.29±2.62) U/mg (P all < 0.05) after the intervention of the sulfur dioxide donor. CONCLUSION: Endogenous SO2 can protect rat myocardium in sepsis by modulating the ba-lance of oxidation and reduction.

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) exposure disturbs lipid metabolism in juvenile yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco.

This study was conducted to determine the mechanism by which di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) exposure influences lipid metabolism of juvenile yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco. Fish were exposed to three DEHP concentrations (0, 0·1 and 0·5 mg l-1 DEHP) for 8 weeks. Fatty acid synthase (FAS) activity significantly decreased with increasing DEHP concentrations, the highest value was in the Tween control group, whereas the lowest activities of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were in this group. The messenger (m)RNA levels of 6-phospho-gluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), FAS and acetyl-CoA carboxylase a (ACCa) significantly increased with increasing DEHP concentration, the highest values were in the 0·5 mg l-1 DEHP group. The mRNA level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) was lower in Tween control than in fish exposed to 0·1 and 0·5 mg l-1 DEHP. The highest mRNA level of ACCb was in the 0·1 mg l-1 DEHP group. These results indicate that DEHP exposure can disturb lipid metabolism at the enzymatic and mRNA levels in Pelteobagrus fulvidraco.

[Three-dimensional vector analysis after decompression surgery in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy].

Objective: To analyze the change of globe position after different orbital decompression in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Methods: It was a retrosective case series study. Twenty-nine TAO patients (33 eyes) underwent orbital decompression were collected between October 2014 and December 2016 at Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University. There were 17 males and 12 females, and the average age was 46 years (ranging from 21 to 66 years). Fifteen patients (17 eyes) underwent balanced decompression, 11 patients (11 eyes) underwent deep lateral decompression, and 4 patients (5 eyes) underwent medial decompression. CT scan was performed pre and postoperatively for each patient and a reference coordinate system was established on the three-dimensional reconstructed image. The eyeball vector EC from the eyeball center to the corneal apex was defined and the coordinates (X(E), Y(E), Z(E))(X(C), Y(C), Z(C)) were calculated. The angle M between EC and the midsagittal plane and the angle F between EC and the Frankfort plane were also calculated. Paired t test and one way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. Results: The average value of X(C) before and after deep lateral decompression was 19.53 mm and 17.25 mm (t=10.87, P<0.05) and average value of X(E) was 7.73 mm and 5.69 mm (t=12.22, P<0.05). The average value of X(C) before and after medial decompression was 20.24 mm and 18.17 mm (t=7.93, P<0.05) and average value of X(E) was 7.14 mm and 5.52 mm (t=9.24, P<0.05). The average value of X(C) before and after balanced decompression was 22.16 mm and 18.83 mm (t=12.71 , P<0.05) and average value of X(E) was 10.20 mm and 6.67 mm (t=11.91, P<0.05). The average value of horizontal deviation angle M before and after medial decompression was 6.48° and 13.34° (t=- 8.41, P<0.05). The average value of angle M before and after balanced decompression was 1.42° and 6.76° (t=- 2.86, P<0.05). The average value of angle M before and after deep lateral decompression was 5.18° and 1.39° (t=2.57, P<0.05). Conclusions: The proptosis reduction was significant after deep lateral decompression, balanced decompression and medial decompression. Additionally, the horizontal deviation tended to increase after medial and balanced decompression, whereas the horizaontal deviation tended to decrease after deep lateral decompression. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 424-429).

Polymorphisms of PRLR and FOLR1 genes and association with milk production traits in goats.

We investigated the polymorphisms of PRLR and FOLR1 genes in Xinong Saanen, Guanzhong, and Boer goat breeds by DNA sequencing and PCR-RFLP. Two novel SNPs were identified: KC109741: g.62130C>T in the 3ꞌ-UTR of goat gene PRLR, and KC136296: g.7884A>C in exon 3 of goat gene FOLR1. In the three goat breeds, the polymorphism information content was 0.20-0.27 at the g.62130C>T locus. At the g.7884A>C locus, it was 0.36 in Boer goats. The three goat breeds were in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium at the g.62130C>T locus. The g.62130C>T SNP was found to be significantly associated with milk production traits in Xinong Saanen and Guanzhong breeds. These results are consistent with the regulatory function of PRLR in mammary gland development, milk secretion, and expression of milk protein genes; they extend the spectrum of genetic variation of the goat PRLR gene, which could be useful for breeding programs.

Molecular cloning and characterization of KISS1 promoter and effect of KISS1 gene mutations on litter size in the goat.

Kisspeptins, the product of the KISS1 gene, play an essential role in the regulation of reproductive functions, acting primarily at the hypothalamic level of the gonadotropic axis. We detected polymorphisms of the goat KISS1 gene in 723 individuals from three goat breeds (Xinong Saanen, Guanzhong, and Boer) by DNA pooling, PCR-RFLP, and DNA sequencing methods. We cloned the promoter sequence of this gene and found it to share high similarity with that of the bovine KISS1 promoter. Six TATA boxes were found in the goat KISS1 promoter region. Two novel SNPs (g.2124T>A and g.2270C>T) were identified in the intron 1 of the KISS1 gene of all three goat breeds. The three goat breeds were in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium at g.2124T>A and g.2270C>T loci. The g.2124T>A and g.2270C>T loci were closely linked in the three goat breeds (r2 > 0.33). The g.2124T>A and g.2270C>T SNPs were significantly associated with litter size, and the C1 female goats had a larger litter size than did those with the other genotypes. These results extend the spectrum of genetic variation of the goat KISS1 gene, which contributes to our knowledge of goat genetic resources for breeding programs.

Characterization of nine novel microsatellite loci for the Venus clam (Cyclina sinensis).

The Venus clam, Cyclina sinensis, is one of the most important bivalves in China marine aquaculture. Using (CA)(15)-enriched genomic libraries of this species, nine novel polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized. The mean number of observed alleles per locus was 16 (range 8-24). The observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.119 to 0.872 and from 0.626 to 0.931, respectively. Three loci had significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and non-significant linkage disequilibrium was found among all nine loci. These highly informative microsatellite markers should be useful for population genetic analyses of C. sinensis.