[Biosynthetic pathways of Polygonatum cyrtonema polysaccharide and diosgenin based on its transcriptomic data].

Polygonatum cyrtonema belongs to the plant family Liliaceae, and its dried rhizome is one of the sources of Chinese traditional medicine of Polygonati Rhizoma. It possesses the dual function as both medicine and food. Its main chemical components are polysaccharides and saponins. In order to understand the biosynthesis pathway of polysaccharides and diosgenin in P. cyrtonema, the corresponding transcriptomic data were obtained by extracting and sequencing the RNA of four parts of P. cyrtonema, namely, leaves, stems, rhizomes and roots. By adopting BGISEQ-500 sequencing platform, 42.03 Gb data were retrieved. Subsequently, the de novo assembly was carried out by Trinity software to obtain 137 233 transcripts, of which 68.13% of unigenes were annotated in seven databases including KEGG, GO, NR, NT, SwissProt, Pfam and KOG. Transcripts that may be involved in the biosynthesis of polysaccharides and diosgenin were analyzed by data mining. With help of qPCR, we validated expression data of four genes that were possibly involved in the biosynthesis of target metabolites. This experiment provides data for the study of biosynthetic pathways of P. cyrtonema secondary metabolites and the clarification of related structural gene functions.

Establishment of cohesion 1 homolog 2 facilitates cell aggressive behaviors and induces poor prognosis in renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Establishment of cohesion 1 homolog 2 (ESCO2) has been identified as an essential factor for cohesion in cell cycle in human multiple cancers. Nonetheless, its functional implication on prognosis and cellular behaviors of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is rarely elucidated. We performed this study to detect the effects of ESCO2 in RCC progression. METHODS: We accessed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to evaluate the ESCO2 expression levels in tumor tissues, including 32 normal tissues and 289 tumor tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were implemented for expression detection. After ESCO2 knockdown using siRNAs interference, functional experiments were conducted to explore the role of ESCO2, such as cell proliferation analysis and colony formation assay. Transwell assays for migration and invasion was also performed. RESULTS: In this study, ESCO2 was significantly increased in RCC tissues and cell lines. The RCC patients with high expression of ESCO2 were susceptible to unfavorable prognosis, and its expression has a marked association with clinical features containing age, gender, pathologic stage, and so on. Furthermore, knockdown of ESCO2 inhibited cell growth, invasion, and migration. Mechanistically, phosphorylation protein kinase B (AKT) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and p53 were all down-regulated due to the ESCO2 inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, our results raised the possibility that ESCO2 may act as a promising option for tumor therapeutic interference by exhibiting enhanced selectivity over conventional chemotherapy.

Study on serum Tau protein level and neurodevelopmental outcome of placental abruption with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore differences in serum Tau protein levels and neurodevelopmental prognoses of placental abruption or umbilical cord around neck with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).Methods: Forty neonates with moderate/severe HIE divided into placental abruption with HIE group (placental abruption with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (PA-HIE) group) (n = 18) and umbilical cord around the neck with HIE group (umbilical cord around the neck with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (UCAN-HIE) group) (n = 22). Healthy term newborns comprised the control group (n = 35). Serum Tau protein levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay 24 hours (3.50 hours [1.00-24.00]) after birth. Neurodevelopment outcomes were assessed based on the Gesell Developmental Scale at 9 months of age.Results: Serum Tau protein levels were significantly higher in 40 cases (1013 pg/ml [538.04-1190.42]) than in the control group (106.41 pg/ml [64.55-154.71], p = .0001). Serum Tau protein levels in the PA-HIE group (1024.46 pg/ml [657.88-1190.42]) were significantly higher than those in the UCAN-HIE group (892.78 pg/ml [538.04-1179.50], p = .0149). The development quotient score in the PA-HIE group (67.0 [47.0-90.0]) was significantly lower than that in the UCAN-HIE group (81.5 [52.6-100.0]) (p = .0028). The component ratio of neurodevelopmental retardation in the PA-HIE group (44.45%) was significantly higher than that in the UCAN-HIE group (22.73%) (X2 = 13.3138, p = .0013).Conclusions: Compared with the UCAN-HIE group, the serum Tau protein level and the component ratio of neurodevelopmental retardation were significantly higher in the PA-HIE group.

PYCR1 is Associated with Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma Progression.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the function of pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1) on progression of papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) and related mechanism. METHODS: The TCGA database provided us expression profiles of PYCR1 and overall survival rates. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to knockdown PYCR1; quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were conducted to identify the expression levels of mRNA and protein. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were used to explore cell viability in Ketr-3 cells. The migration and invasion of Ketr-3 cells were investigated by transwell assays. RESULTS: We found that PYCR1 was over-expressed in PRCC tissues and cells, causing poor outcomes. Moreover, reduction of PYCR1 played a negative role on cell proliferation, migration and invasion in tumor cells. The important Akt/mTOR pathway proteins, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR), also showed lower levels compared with control groups. CONCLUSION: These findings showed that disordered expression of PYCR1 could modulate PRCC progression through the Akt/mTOR pathway, implying a theoretical basis for PYCR1 as a potential therapeutic target in future clinical PRCC treatment.

A Case Report of Primary Neonatal Hypocholinesterase Caused by Homozygous Frameshift Mutation of the utyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) Gene and Review of Literature.

BACKGROUND: Primary neonatal hypocholinesterase is rare; its genetic pattern and mutation still need to be further studied. METHODS: The patient and his parents are studied using next-generation sequencing technology. RESULTS: A boy one day after birth is admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at our hospital after experiencing intermittent vomiting for 12 hours. The patient's serum cholinesterase level (113 - 283 U/L) is lower than normal value (4,000 - 12,600 U/L). Many factors of low serum cholinesterase are excluded. We highly suspect that it may be related to congenital factors. Molecular genetic test results show that the patient carried the BCHE gene (NM_000055.2) and has homozygous frameshift mutations at exon 2 c.401dupA (p.Asn134fs) of chromosome 3q26. It is a pathogenicity mutation. This locus mutation belongs to a novel pathogenic mutation. As a result of this mutation, the 134th amino acid Asn began to frameshift and the translation is terminated early. It can cause the Encoding of protein to truncate and lose its normal function. His parents' serum cholinesterase levels (father: 5,135 U/L; mother: 4,367 U/L) are in the normal value range, but his parents carried a heterozygous BCHE gene. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that gene sequence detection should be carried out early in hypocholinesterase of nknown cause in neonates. This study can not only improve understanding of the etiology and pathological mechanism of hypocholinesterase, but also it can enlarge the hypocholinesterase gene mutation spectrum.

SATB2-Associated Syndrome: a Case Report of a De Novo Nonsense Mutation in SATB2 from China and Review of Literature.

BACKGROUND: To study the clinical and genetic features from a Chinese child with SATB2-associated syndrome (SAS) and review of literature. METHODS: The girl, 2 years 3 months old, is admitted to the Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation in our hospital. This patient has mental retardation, language development disorder, cleft palate II0, micrognathia, malocclusion, irritability and bilateral oblique palpebral fissure as a clinical manifestation and is treated for 3 months. RESULTS: Gesell Development Scale (GDS) evaluation displays the patient's action capacity: gross motor 13.4, DQ 41%; fine motor 14.1, DQ 44%; adaptive behavior: DA 15.2, DQ 47%; speech capacity: DA 8.8; DQ 27%; person capacity: DA 11.7, DQ, 36%. Bayley Scale evaluation displays MDI < 50 and PDI < 50. Sleep EEG showed bilateral frontal pole - frontal - central - anterior temporal area presents in sharp wave, sharp and slow wave synchronization issue. A brain MRI showed that signal T2 is strengthened in the internal capsule hind leg. Flake T2FLATR high signal can been showed in the periventricular area of the parietal lobe in bilateral hemisphere. Molecular studies showed the patient carries a de novo nonsense mutation c.1285G>A (p.R429X) in SATB2. CONCLUSIONS: SATB2 mutation is not detected in the parents of the subjects. This study is important to further study the clinical features of SATB2-associated syndrome and to enlarge the SATB2 mutation spectrum.

Effect of erythropoietin combined with hypothermia on serum tau protein levels and neurodevelopmental outcome in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Although hypothermia therapy is effective to treat neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, many neonatal patients die or suffer from severe neurological dysfunction. Erythropoietin is considered one of the most promising neuroprotective agents. We hypothesized that erythropoietin combined with hypothermia will improve efficacy of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treatment. In this study, 41 neonates with moderate/severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy were randomly divided into a control group (hypothermia alone for 72 hours, n = 20) and erythropoietin group (hypothermia + erythropoietin 200 IU/kg for 10 days, n = 21). Our results show that compared with the control group, serum tau protein levels were lower and neonatal behavioral neurological assessment scores higher in the erythropoietin group at 8 and 12 days. However, neurodevelopmental outcome was similar between the two groups at 9 months of age. These findings suggest that erythropoietin combined with hypothermia reduces serum tau protein levels and improves neonatal behavioral neurology outcome but does not affect long-term neurodevelopmental outcome.

Predictive Value of Neurodevelopmental Outcome and Serum Tau Protein Level in Neonates with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND: Tau protein is s specific protein expressed by neurons in the central nervous system. Elevated serum Tau protein is associated with many diseases of the central nervous system. The serum Tau protein level in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is still poorly understood. METHODS: Forty-one human neonates with HIE and thirty-five healthy neonates (control group) within 24 hours after birth were studied. Tau protein in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Neurological outcome was assessed at 9 months of age according to the Gesell developmental scale. RESULTS: Tau protein in serum was significantly higher in the HIE group than in the control group (p < 0.01), in neonates with severe HIE than neonates with moderate HIE (p < 0.01), and in infants with neurodevelopmental retardation compared with those with normal neurodevelopment (p < 0.01). The result of this study showed an obvious negative correlation between the serum Tau protein level and development quotients of neonates with HIE (rs = -0.6172, p < 0.01). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed that Tau protein (cutoff value 933.04 pg/mL) was a predictor of neurodevelopmental retardation outcome (AUC value = 0.860 (95% CI: 0.736 - 0.983, p < 0.01), sensitivity 100%, specificity 70.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Serum Tau protein level within 24 hours after birth can be used as a marker for the early diagnosis of neonatal HIE and predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes.

[Interaction models of cucurbit (n=6,7,8) urils and imidazo[4,5,f]1,10-phenanthroline derivates].

The interaction structures and optical properties of host-guest of cucurbit[n=6-8]urils with synthesized three imidazo-[4,5, f]1,10-phenathroline derivates were investigated by using 1HNMR technique, fluorescence spectrophotometry, and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The experimental results reveal that cucurbit [6] uril (Q[6]) can only interact with guest salt of 2-(4-methyl)-phenyl-imidazo-[4,5,f]1,10-phenathroline (W1) with a ratio of 1:1; however, cucurbit [7] uril (Q[7]) can interact with all three guest salts of 2-(4-methylphenyl)-imidazo-[4,5,f]1,10-phenathroline(W1), 2-(2-methylphenyl)-imidazo-[4,5,f] 1,10-phenathroline(W2), and 2-(3-methyloxyl phenyl)-imidazo-[4,5,f]1,10-phenathroline(W3) with the same ratio of 1:1; cucurbit [8] uril (Q[8]), except interaction with W1 with a ratio of 1:2, can also interact with W2 and W3 with a ratio of 1:1.