Hydrogen sulfide alleviates cognitive deficiency and hepatic dysfunction in a mouse model of acute liver failure.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a devastating clinical syndrome with a high mortality rate if not treated promptly. Previous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on the brain and liver. The present study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of H2S in ALF. A mouse model of ALF was established following treatment with thioacetamide (TAA). Mice with TAA-induced ALF were intraperitoneally injected with 30 or 100 µmol/kg/day sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS; a H2S donor drug) for two weeks. According to results from novel object recognition and Y-maze tests, in the present study, NaHS treatment alleviated cognitive deficiency and preserved spatial orientation learning ability in TAA-induced ALF mice compared with those of untreated mice. In addition, NaHS treatment reduced serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and the concentration of ammonia compared with those that received control treatment, resulting in weight loss prevention. These findings suggested a beneficial effect of H2S on liver function. In conclusion, results from the present study suggested that H2S treatment may alleviate cognitive deficiency and hepatic dysfunction in mice with ALF, indicating the potential therapeutic benefits of applying H2S for the treatment of ALF.

Identification of prognostic splicing factors and exploration of their potential regulatory mechanisms in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD), the most common subtype of pancreatic cancer, is a highly lethal disease. In this study, we integrated the expression profiles of splicing factors (SFs) of PAAD from RNA-sequencing data to provide a comprehensive view of the clinical significance of SFs. A prognostic index (PI) based on SFs was developed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) COX analysis. The PI exhibited excellent performance in predicting the status of overall survival of PAAD patients. We also used the percent spliced in (PSI) value obtained from SpliceSeq software to quantify different types of alternative splicing (AS). The prognostic value of AS events was explored using univariate COX and LASSO COX analyses; AS-based PIs were also proposed. The integration of prognosis-associated SFs and AS events suggested the potential regulatory mechanisms of splicing processes in PAAD. This study defined the markedly clinical significance of SFs and provided novel insight into their potential regulatory mechanisms.

[Research on the knockout of LMNA gene by CRISPR/Cas9 system in human cell lines].

The LMNA gene encodes the nuclear Lamin A and Lamin C proteins, and is related to nuclear membrane organization, genome stability and cell differentiation. Abnormal expression of LMNA is ubiquitous in human tumors, and its mutation leads to various forms of laminopathies, including Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and Hutchinson-Gliford progeria syndrome (HGPS). To further determine the functions of the LMNA gene in cellular physiology, the present study used the CRISPR/Cas9 technique to edit the LMNA gene of 293T and HepG2 cells in vitro, which resulted in two stable LMNA gene knockout (LMNA KO) cell lines. Compared to the respective wild type cells, the LMNA KO cell lines showed decrease in proliferation ability, increase in apoptosis, alteration in cellular morphology and uneven structures in the nucleus membrane. In this study, we report for the first time the results on the construction of LMNA KO immortalized cell lines and characterization of their morphological changes, thereby laying the foundation for the further studies of the LMNA gene functions and pathogenic mutations.