A de novo homozygous missense mutation of the GUSB gene leads to mucopolysaccharidosis type VII identification in a family with twice adverse pregnancy outcomes due to non-immune hydrops fetalis.

Non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) is a common and severe manifestation of many genetic disorders. The ultrasound is an ideal method for diagnosing hydrops fetalis during pregnancy. Since most NIHFs do not have an identifiable cause, determining the underlying etiology remains a challenge for prenatal counseling. Due to advancements in exome sequencing, the diagnostic rates of NIHF have recently increased. As reported here, DNA was extracted from the amniotic fluid of a pregnant woman who was prenatally diagnosed with a NIHF type of unclear origin. Amniocentesis sampling demonstrated a normal female karyotype and copy number variation(CNVs) without alterations. Tri-whole exome sequencing (WES) was conducted to identify possible causative variants. In the fetus, a de novo genetic mutation was identified as a homozygous form. The mutation was located on the glucuronidase beta (GUSB) gene: NM_000181.3: c.1324G > A; p. Ala442Thr; Chr7:65439349, which leads to mucopolysaccharidosis type VII. This mutation was inherited from the parents and was first reported to be related to NIHF. We conclude that the use of WES is beneficial for NIHF cases whose prognosis has not been explained by standard genetic testing.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of highly variable valsartan in single-pill combination with amlodipine versus its generic formulation: a randomized, three-cycle, three-sequence, partially replicated crossover phase I bioequivalence clinical trial.

Valsartan/amlodipine (I) is a single-pill combination (SPC) of an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) and a calcium channel blocker (CCB) for treating hypertension. A clinical trial was performed to demonstrate that the test and reference valsartan/amlodipine formulations were bioequivalent under fasting and postprandial conditions. Participants were randomly divided into three sequences at a ratio of 1:1:1 for three-cycle, reference formulation replicated, crossover administration. The average bioequivalence (ABE) and reference-scaled average bioequivalence (RSABE) methods were used to evaluate BE using the main pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters. Overall, 45 eligible participants were enrolled in the postprandial trial, which was consistent with the fasting trial. For valsartan, the RSABE method was used to evaluate the BE of Cmax, while the ABE method was applied to evaluate the BE of AUC0-t and AUC0-∞. Both point estimates and 95% upper confidence bound met the BE criteria. For amlodipine, the ABE method was performed, and the 90% confidence intervals of the geometric mean ratios (GMR) for Cmax and AUC0-72 h were all within 80%-125%, with the BE criteria being met. Therefore, the two formulations are bioequivalent and have similar safety profiles in healthy Chinese subjects. Clinical trial registration: [http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn/index.html], identifier [CTR20210214].

Efficacy and influencing factor analysis of Voriconazole in the treatment of invasive fungal infections.

Current study aims to explore the correlation between the administered dose and efficacy of voriconazole in the treatment of invasive fungal infection (IFI). The correlation between different doses of Voriconazole and plasma concentrations as well as clinical efficacy was counted. Consequently, 40 strains of pathogenic micro-organisms were isoninelated and cultured from etiological samples. A total of 66 patients with steady-state trough serum concentrations ranging from 1.0 to 5.5 µg/mL were measured, with a compliance rate of 79.5%. Chi-square test showed that there was a significant correlation between Voriconazole steady-state serum trough concentration and treatment efficacy. In addition, the result of Pearson test showed that steady-state trough serum concentration of Voriconazole was significantly positively correlated with the administered dose (γ = 0.866, P < 0.001). On conclusion, Voriconazole is effective in treatment of IFI, and there is a significant dose-plasma concentration correlation with efficacy.

Intrauterine management and outcomes of persistent fetal atrial flutter: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Fetal atrial flutter (AF), accounting for 30% of all fetal tachyarrhythmias, predominantly (over 80%) manifests as a 2:1 atrioventricular conduction. Swift referral and timely intervention become imperative in instances of severe persistent arrhythmia. CASE PRESENTATION: We discuss the case of a 32-year-old multiparous Chinese woman, at 30+2 weeks of gestation, wherein an ultrasonographic examination revealed persistent fetal AF (atrial rate ranging from 219 to 445 beats/min and ventricular rate from 219 to 228 beats/min, with a 2:1 or 1:1 down transmission) and minor ascites. Despite the maternal ingestion of digoxin and sotalol, the fetal heart rhythm remained uncorrected. Following this, at 32+3 weeks of gestation, an intramuscular injection of cedilanid, guided by ultrasound, was administered to the fetus. Postoperatively, the fetal ventricular rate demonstrated a decline after 6 days, and the ascites resolved. Subsequently, at 33+3 weeks, a cesarean section was necessitated due to maternal intolerance to the medication, resulting in the delivery of the infant. Remarkably, the infant's cardiac rhythm spontaneously converted to sinus rhythm within 5 min of birth. A follow-up conducted 1 year postpartum revealed no recurrence of AF. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates that in the event of transplacental drug treatment failure, intrauterine therapeutic intervention should be considered. Moreover, it highlights the encouraging prognosis associated with fetal AF, as the cardiac rhythm spontaneously reverted to sinus rhythm postbirth in this instance.

C1QBP regulates apoptosis of renal cell carcinoma via modulating xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) mediated ROS generation.

Background: Complement component 1 Q subcomponent binding protein (C1QBP) plays a vital role in the progression and metabolism of cancer. Studies have shown that xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) accelerates tumor growth, and also induces mutations or produces cytotoxic effects concurrently. However, the role of C1QBP in metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells have not yet been explored. Methods: Metabolomics assay was applied to investigate the role of C1QBP in RCC metabolism. C1QBP knockdown and overexpression cells were established via lentiviral infection and subjected to apoptosis and ROS assay in vitro. RNA stability assay was applied to characterize the mechanism of C1QBP regulating XDH transcription. In vivo, orthotopic tumor xenografts assay was performed to investigate the role of C1QBP in RCC progression. Results: Metabolomics investigation revealed that C1QBP dramatically diminished the hypoxanthine content in RCC cells. C1QBP promoted the mRNA and protein expression of hypoxanthine catabolic enzyme XDH. Meanwhile, C1QBP may affect XDH transcription by regulating the mRNA level of XDH transcriptional stimulators IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Moreover, the expression of C1QBP and XDH was lower in RCC tumors compared with the tumor-associated normal tissues, and their down-regulation was associated with higher Fuhrman grade. C1QBP significantly increased ROS level, apoptosis, and the expression of apoptotic proteins such as cleaved caspase-3 and bax/bcl2 via regulating XDH. Conclusion: C1QBP promotes the catabolism of hypoxanthine and elevates the apoptosis of RCC cells by modulating XDH-mediated ROS generation.

YBX1 knockdown induces renal cell carcinoma cell apoptosis via Kindlin-2.

Among urological tumors, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the third-highest mortality rate tumor, and 20%-30% of RCC patients present with metastases at the time of diagnosis. While the treatment of RCC has been improved over the last few years, its mortality stays high. Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) is a well-known oncoprotein that has tumor-promoting functions. YBX1 is widely considered to be an attractive therapeutic target in cancer. To develop novel therapeutics to target YBX1, it is of great importance to understand how YBX1 is finely regulated in cancer. Our previous studies showed that YBX1 in RCC cells significantly promoted cell adhesion, migration, and invasion. However, the role of YBX1 in RCC cells apoptosis has not been reported. In this study, we investigated the effect of YBX1 on cell apoptosis and elucidated the mechanisms involved. Results showed that YBX1 regulated RCC cells apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation via Kindlin-2. These findings indicated that YBX1 inhibited RCC cells apoptosis and may serve as a candidate RCC prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target. Abbreviations: RCC: Renal cell carcinoma; YBX1: Y-box binding protein 1; ROS: Reactive oxygen species; ccRCC: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma; mccRCC: Metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma; G3BP1: Ras-GTPase activating protein SH3 domain-binding proteins 1; SPP1: Secreted phosphoprotein 1; NF-κB: Nuclear factor kappa beta; ECM: Extracellular matrix; EMT: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; PYCR1: Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1; MEM: Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium; DMEM: Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium; FBS: Fetal bovine serum; PCR: Polymerase chain reaction; shRNA: Short hairpin RNA; siRNA: Small interfering RNA; BSA: Bovine serum albumin; DCFH-DA: 2,7-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate; FITC: Fluorescein isothiocyanate; PI: Propidium iodide.

Expression of G3BP1 in benign and malignant human prostate tissues.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the world's leading type of cancer in men. GTPase-activating protein SH3 domain-binding protein 1 (G3BP1) is overexpressed in a variety of tumors. However, there are limited studies in PCa concerning G3BP1. This present study was to investigates the expression of G3BP1 and the mechanism of action on PCa. METHODS: We explored the G3BP1 expression in PCa using the TCGA database and verified it using clinical samples by immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods. G3BP1 and Androgen receptor (AR) status of 104 human PCa and 50 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) samples were analyzed by IHC and the association between G3BP1 expression and biochemical recurrence was determined. Moreover, we generated G3BP1 knockdown cell lines in human PCa LNCaP cell lines, to observe AR changes. RESULTS: G3BP1 and AR were overexpressed in PCa compared to BPH tissues. The expression of G3BP1 and AR was positively correlated with the malignant degree of the tumor. Higher G3BP1 expression showed a trend toward biochemical recurrence. Western blot showed downregulation of G3BP1 affected AR expression levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that G3BP1 was frequently upregulated in PCa and closely related to AR expression and tumor metastasis. Besides, G3BP1 might be associated with biochemical recurrence. These results supply potential target for the management of the PCa.

Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Accelerate the Morphological and Functional Recovery of Neovaginas.

Vaginal reconstruction is the main solution to the problem of sexuality and gender roles for patients with no vagina. A tissue-engineered vagina may be the best choice. However, many defects have been found in neovaginas reconstructed with a graft only. In this study, we investigated whether a stem cell-seeded graft would accelerate the morphological and functional recovery of neovaginas. CM-DiI-labeled bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-seeded small intestinal submucosa (SIS) (SIS+MSCs group) was used for vaginal reconstruction in a rat model; unseeded SIS (SIS group) was used as a control. The neovaginas of each group were harvested at 4 and 12 weeks after surgery. Morphological analyses were performed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemical staining for α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), protein gene product 9.5(PGP9.5), and CD34. Functional recovery was evaluated using an organ bath study. The role of MSCs in the neovagina was analyzed by immunofluorescence and molecular biology methods. At the 4th week, a regenerated epithelium covered the whole neovagina in both groups. A small amount of smooth muscle regeneration was found in the neovagina. Up to the 12th week, nerve fibers appeared. There were more smooth muscle and nerve fibers, along with better contractility, in the neovagina of the SIS+MSCs group. Further study showed that the MSCs differentiated into smooth muscles at the 4th week. A higher microvessel density (MVD) and more vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were found in the neovagina of the SIS+MSCs group. In short, MSCs accelerate the structural and functional recovery of the neovagina.

A new material for tissue engineered vagina reconstruction: Acellular porcine vagina matrix.

Acellular matrix materials have been widely used to repair various tissues and organs. According to the plastic principle, when a part of the body is lost, it should be replaced with a similar material. Therefore, the use of a homologous organ-specific acellular vaginal tissue in vagina reconstruction repair surgery may show good results. However, the acellular vagina matrix (AVM) form large vertebrates is difficult to isolate. In this study, we described a multistep method to prepare porcine AVM and evaluated the efficacy of acellularization. We also investigated the biomechanical properties, biological activity elements, and biocompatibility of the porcine AVM. We then used this material to reconstruct a rat vagina and performed further morphologic and functional analyses. Small intestinal submucosa (SIS), which is a commonly used acellular matrix material, was used in a control group. Histological examination, DNA content analysis, and agarose gel electrophoresis revealed that the decellularization procedure was effective. The AVM had acceptable biomechanical properties and sufficient growth factor production (VEGF, FGF, TGF-ß1, and PDGF-BB) compared with that of the SIS. Subcutaneous transplantation in rats showed that the AVM had good biocompatibility. The tissue-engineered vagina using the AVM more resembled normal-appearing tissue than did that using SIS following morphologic and functional analyses. The AVM has great potential for application in vaginal reconstructive surgery. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1949-1959, 2017.