Characterization of male-biased fatty acid desaturase in the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis and its role in pheromone production.

Linoleic acid is the material for biosynthesis of sex attracting and blocking (postmating) pheromones in Nasonia vitripennis, it is synthesized from oleic acid by a male-biased fatty acid desaturase (SCD5a). In this study, we developed a specific antibody and further characterized the expression patterns of SCD5a in males at different mating stages by western blot. SCD5a was mainly expressed in male heads rather than in abdomens. Along with the aging process (from Day 1 to Day 3), SCD5a increased significantly. Compared with virgin males, mated males showed higher levels of SCD5a. Likewise, abdomen dipping frequency, during which males release attracting pheromone, increased with age and mating. Moreover, real-time quantitative PCR revealed that genes responsible for the first three steps of attracting pheromone biosynthesis were more highly expressed in head than in abdomen, but the final gene for transformation of attracting pheromone was more highly expressed in abdomen than in head. These results suggest that linoleic acid for biosynthesis of attracting pheromones may also originate from the head rather than only synthesized at the rectal vesicles.

Assessment efficacy of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and monocyte-lymphocyte ratio in preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: Abnormal changes in immune-mediated inflammation contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE). We aim to investigate the value of systemic immune inflammation indices-neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR)-to identify and evaluate the prognosis of patients with PE. METHODS: This study reviewed clinical records of 367 PE patients (162 with mild PE and 205 with severe PE), in addition to a control group of 172 normal pregnancies. Blood cell counts were performed at the first diagnosis of PE, and NLR and MLR were calculated by absolute cell count. RESULTS: Absolute neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts and NLR and MLR values in PE were significantly different from controls, although monocyte counts did not significantly differ between mild and severe PE. Receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis showed NLR and MLR had better diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing PE from controls [NLR area under the curve (AUC) = 0.70; MLR AUC = 0.78]. Further, NLR was the best predictor of disease severity (AUC = 0.71). Cutoff values of NLR > 4.198 or MLR > 0.325 for control and PE groups or a cutoff value of NLR > 4.182 for PE groups indicated that patients were more likely to encounter preterm delivery, have shorter admission-to-delivery interval, and develop maternal and neonatal complications. CONCLUSION: Secondary analyses of white blood cell differential count parameters effectively evaluate the systemic inflammatory/immune state. Compared with absolute cell counts, NLR and MLR offer more effective indicators of clinical assessment, disease severity evaluation, and prognosis evaluation of PE.

Vascular endothelial growth factor affects dendritic cell activity in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) activity is involved in the growth and stability of the placenta, and its signaling has been implicated in the development of pregnancy­induced hypertension (PIH). The present study sought to evaluate VEGF levels and dendritic cell (DC) profiles in patients with PIH, and to investigate the effects of VEGF expression on DC phenotypes. The present study assessed 162 patients, 112 of whom were diagnosed with PIH. Serum VEGF was measured by ELISA, while myeloid DC (mDC; (Lin1­HLA­DR+CD11c+) and plasmacytoid DC (pDC; Lin1­HLA­DR+CD123+) counts were determined using flow cytometry. In order to determine the effect of VEGF treatment on DC phenotypes, immature DCs (iDCs) were separated from monocytes by culturing in the presence of cytokines (GM­CSF, IL­4), and then pretreated with VEGF or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The phenotype of dendritic cells (CD14, CD80, CD83, or CD86) was determined by flow cytometry. The levels of VEGF in the serum of patients with PIH were significantly lower than those in control subjects (P<0.05). The percentage of pDCs found in the serum of patients with preeclampsia was significantly lower than that in the other groups. The percentage of mDCs in the serum of patients with preeclampsia and eclampsia was significantly higher than that in the control and hypertensive disorder groups (P<0.05). The percentage of mDCs was significantly negatively correlated with the levels of VEGF in the preeclamptic and eclamptic patients (r=­0.34 and r=­0.42, respectively; P<0.05). Detected levels of CD80, CD83 and CD86 in DCs treated with VEGF were significant lower than those in DCs treated with LPS alone (P<0.05). In conclusion, abnormal expression of VEGF and an altered dendritic cell profile may be involved in the development of PIH.

Dendritic cells derived from preeclampsia patients influence Th1/Th17 cell differentiation in vitro.

Immune regulation plays important but as-yet-unclear roles in the development of preeclampsia. This study explored potential contributions to immune regulation by dendritic cells (DCs) derived from peripheral blood of preeclampsia patients on the differentiation of Th1 and Th17 cells. Pregnant women with preeclampsia (n = 73) and healthy pregnant women (n = 80) were included in the study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from each participant, and DCs were derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro. The phenotypes of DCs, identified by CD14, CD80, CD83, and CD86 expression, were detected by flow cytometry, and secretion of interleukin-23 (IL-23) into the culture medium by DCs was measured by ELISA. CD4 + T cells were separated by the magnetic beads and subjected to flow cytometry to determine their ability to differentiate to Th1 or Th17 cells. Compared with DCs derived from healthy pregnant women, DCs derived from preeclampsia patients expressed higher levels of CD83, CD80, and CD86 (P < 0.05). Additionally, secretion of IL-23 was higher in DCs derived from the preeclampsia group than from the control group (P < 0.001). DCs derived from preeclampsia patients also had a stronger ability to promote the differentiation of CD4 + T cells into Th1/Th17 cells when cultured with different cytokines (P < 0.01). Thus, altered phenotypes and functions of DCs may promote the abnormal balance of Th1 and Th17 in the development of preeclampsia.