Protein phosphatase 4 catalytic subunit (PP4C) increases hepatitis B virus X protein levels and promotes its biological functions / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the role of protein phosphatase 4 catalytic subunit (PP4C) in regulating hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) levels and its effects on the biological functions of HBx, thus to provide a potential therapeutic targets for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:In vivo and in vitro interactions between HBx and PP4C were analyzed by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and GST pull-down assay. Recombinant plasmids of PP4C and HBx were co-transfected with Lipofectamine 3000 reagents into hepatoma cells to detect the protein levels of HBx by Western blot. The half-life of HBx in the transfected cells treated with cycloheximide (CHX) were detected. The phosphorylation assay was used to evaluate the effects of PP4C on HBx phosphorylation. CCK8 assay, wound healing assay and Matrigel invasion chamber assay were used to analyze the effects of PP4C on the biological functions of HBx. Results:PP4C interacted with HBx in vivo and in vitro. PP4C overexpression significantly increased the protein level and stability of HBx and the phosphorylation assay confirmed that PP4C overexpression decreased the serine phosphorylation of HBx in hepatoma cells. PP4C overexpression enhanced the migration and invasion of hepatoma cells, but had no significant effects on the proliferation. Conclusions:The interactions between HBx and PP4C promoted the stability of HBx and ultimately enhanced the migration and invasion of hepatoma cells, and the mechanisms might be related to the decrease of HBx serine phosphorylation by PP4C. This study provided a theoretical basis for further investigation of the pathogenic mechanisms of HBx, and targeting PP4C and HBx interaction might provide insights for developing novel treatment for HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Effects of Age and Gender on Lumbar Proprioception / 中国康复理论与实践

@# Objective To explore the difference in lumbar proprioception between the youth and the elderly, and the male and the female. Methods From September to November, 2017, 58 elderly aged 65 to 80 years and 56 youth aged 20 to 30 years were randomly picked up from the community. Their lumbar proprioceptions were measured by Con-Trex isokinetic dynamometer. The absolute error angles of lumbar flexion and extension in passive replication test was used to assess lumbar proprioceptive function. Results The absolute error angles of passive replication test were less on youth proprioception than on elderly ones (t > 4.218, P < 0.001), either in men or women (t > 2.844, P < 0.001), and was not different between men and women neither in the elderly group nor in the youth group (t < 1.473, P > 0.05). Conclusion The lumbar proprioception in the elderly was obviously inferior to that of the youth, both men and women. There was no gender difference between men and women in lumbar proprioception, both elderly and youth.

Research Progress of Low Back Pain Disability Assessment Scale (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common types of disability affecting individuals in Western countries, and the as-sessment of LBP-related disabilities represents a significant challenge. The disability assessment scales in LBP are commonly used in clini-cal diagnosis and treatment as well as evaluation system for clinical research, such as Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Roland Morris Dis-ability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS). This article focused on the clinical applications, reliability and validity, strength and limitations of these scales, to help the clinical application and scientific research for the LBP disability scale.