Discovery and validation of anti-arthritic ingredients and mechanisms of Qingfu Juanbi Tang, a Chinese herbal formulation, on rheumatoid arthritis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Qingfu Juanbi Tang (QFJBT), a novel and improved Chinese herbal formulation, has surged in recent years for its potential in the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Anti-arthritic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of QFJBT have increasingly become a focal point in research. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study utilized network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation to elucidate effective ingredients and anti-arthritic mechanisms of QFJBT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Targets associated with QFJBT and RA were identified from relevant databases and standardized using the Uniprot for gene nomenclature. A "QFJBT-ingredient-target network" and a "Venn diagram of QFJBT and RA targets" were created from the data. The overlap in the Venn diagram highlighted potential targets of QFJBT in the treatment of RA. These targets were subjected to PPI network, GO, and KEGG pathway analysis. The findings were subsequently confirmed through molecular docking and pharmacological experiments to propose the mechanism of action of QFJBT. RESULTS: The study identified 236 active ingredients in QFJBT, with 120 predicted to be effective against RA. Molecular docking showed high binding affinity of key targets (JUN, PTGS2, and TNF-α) with bioactive compounds (rhein, sinomenine, calycosin, and paeoniflorin) of QFJBT. Pharmacodynamic evaluation demonstrated the effects of QFJBT at the dose of 4.56 g/kg in ameliorating symptoms of AIA rats and in reducing levels of JUN, PTGS2, and TNF-α in synovial tissues. In vitro studies further exhibited that rhein, paeoniflorin, sinomenine, calycosin, and QFJBT-containing serum significantly inhibited abnormal proliferation of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes. Interestingly, rhein and paeoniflorin specifically decreased p-JUN/JUN expression and TNF-α release, respectively, while sinomenine and calycosin selectively increased PTGS2 expression. Consistently, QFJBT-containing serum demonstrated similar effects as those active ingredients identified in QFJBT did. CONCLUSIONS: QFJBT, QFJBT-containing serum, and its active ingredients (rhein, paeoniflorin, sinomenine, and calycosin) suppress inflammatory responses in RA. Anti-arthritic effects of QFJBT and its active ingredients are likely linked to their modulatory impact on identified hub targets.

A Lipid Droplet-Specific NIR Fluorescent Probe with a Large Stokes Shift for In Vivo Visualization of Polarity in Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury.

The research on lipid droplets (LDs) has attracted great attention in the field of biomedical science in recent years. LD malfunction is found to be associated with the development of acute kidney injury (AKI). To monitor this biological process and explain related pathological behavior, the development of excellent LD fluorescent probes with a polarity-sensitive character would provide a desirable strategy. Herein, we designed a new polarity-susceptible fluorescent probe named LD-B with LD targetability, which exhibits very weak fluorescence in highly polar solvents based on the twisted intramolecular charge transfer effect but enhanced fluorescence in low polar environments, enabling us to visualize polarity alteration. The probe LD-B also possesses the merits of intense near-infrared (NIR) emission, good photostability, large Stokes shift, low toxicity, faster metabolic rate, and wash-free ability; thereby, it would contribute to efficient LD fluorescence visualization application. Using LD-B via confocal laser scanning fluorescence imaging and a small-animal imaging system in vivo, we first manifested a prominent rise of LD polarity in contrast-induced AKI (CI-AKI), not only at the cellular level but also in animals in vivo. Furthermore, the in vivo studies suggest that LD-B could accumulate in the kidney. In addition, the normal cell lines (including kidney cells) exhibiting a greater polarity of LDs than the cancer cells have been demonstrated systemically. Altogether, our work presents an effective approach for the medical diagnosis of LDs related to CI-AKI and identification of potential therapeutic markers.

The role of ferroptosis in the development of acute and chronic kidney diseases.

Ferroptosis, a novel form of regulated cell death, is characterized by imbalance of intracellular iron and redox systems, resulting from overgeneration of toxic lipid peroxidation products. In recent years, the verified crucial role of ferroptosis has been widely concerned in rudimentary pathogenesis and development of various acute and chronic kidney disease (CKD), comprehending the potential patterns of cell death can afford more reliable bases and principles for treatment and prevention of renal disease. In this review, the regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis were introduced and the important roles of ferroptosis in diverse renal diseases such as acute kidney injury, CKD, and renal fibrosis were outlined to illuminate the potential of restraining ferroptosis in treatment and prevention of kidney disease.

Prevalence and causes of bilateral visual impairment in rural areas of Tianjin, China - The Tianjin Eye Study.

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence, causes and risk factors of bilateral visual impairment in rural areas of Tianjin, China. METHODS: A large population-based, cross-sectional study. A stratified random cluster sampling method was used to investigate 12 233 participants in all age groups living in rural Tianjin. Participants completed questionnaires and received professional ophthalmology examinations. RESULTS: According to World Health Organization best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) criteria, the crude prevalence of bilateral visual impairment (BCVA < 20/63), bilateral low vision (BCVA < 20/63 to ≥20/400) and bilateral blindness (BCVA < 20/400) was 2.53%, 2.40% and 0.14% (age- and gender-standardized prevalence was 1.86%, 1.76% and 0.11%). The prevalence increased with age and was higher in women than men. The most common causes of bilateral visual impairment in the total population were cataract (48.39%), refractive error/amblyopia (17.74%), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (10.00%), diabetic retinopathy (5.81%) and glaucoma (3.87%). For participants younger than 50 years, refractive error/amblyopia was the leading cause of low vision and blindness, while cataract was the major cause in the participants over 50. Female gender, older age and self-reported diabetes were associated with increased risks of visual impairment. CONCLUSION: The age- and gender-standardized prevalence of low vision, especially in the older group (50+), was higher in this study compared with previous studies in China. Refractive error/amblyopia was the leading cause of bilateral visual impairment in younger group, while cataract was the primary cause in the older group. These findings will provide useful information for planning comprehensive eye healthcare programmes in China.

A Chemiluminescent Immunoassay for Osteocalcin in Human Serum and a Solution to the "Hook Effect".

A chemiluminescent immunoassay for human serum osteocalcin, or bone Gla protein, was established using a double-antibody sandwich model. Examination of the hook effect revealed that it was significantly reduced, and no hook effect was observed at an osteocalcin concentration of 4000 ng/mL. The established method showed good analytical performance and thermal stability. The limit of detection was 0.03 ng/mL. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) was 3.22%-5.64%, the interassay CV was 4.42%-7.25%, and the recovery rate was 93.22%-107.99%. Cross-reactivity (CR) was not observed with bovine, rat, mouse, rabbit, or porcine samples. The developed method showed a good correlation with the N-MID product from Roche. In total, 1069 clinical patient samples were measured using the reagent kit developed in this study.

Development of a Chemiluminescence Immunoassay for Quantification of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Human Serum.

In this study, a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) for human serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was established by a competition model. In serum, more than 99% of total circulating 25(OH)D binds to protein and less than 1% of 25(OH)D is in free form (Jassil et al., 2017). Before measuring concentration of 25(OH)D in serum, a releasing procedure should be conducted. A new reagent is used to release binding 25(OH)D to free form. Streptavidin (SA) was labeled to magnetic beads by a 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) method. Biotinylated VD was used as a competitor of 25(OH)D in samples. Anti-VD antibody (aby) was labeled to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by EDC to react with 25(OH)D and biotinylated-VD molecules. The pretreated samples or standards were added into the reaction tube with biotin-VD and anti-VD aby-HRP, free 25(OH)D in the sample competes with biotinylated VD for binding to anti-VD aby-HRP, an SA-labeled magnetic particle is added to isolate the signal-generating complex, and the signal is inversely proportional to the 25(OH)D concentration in the sample. The method established shows good thermostability and performance. The limitation of detection (LoD) is 1.43 ng/mL. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) is 3.66%-6.56%, the interassay CV is 4.19%-7.01%, and the recovery rate is 93.22%-107.99%. Cross-reactivity (CR) was remarkably low with vitamin D2, vitamin D3, 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D2. At the same time, the cross-reaction values with 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 were 97% and 100%, respectively. The developed method shows good correlation with the total VD product from Roche and DiaSorin. 1096 clinical patient samples were measured with developed reagent kit in this study. 7 types of disease were involved, and the concentration of 25(OH)D is less than 30 ng/mL in 94.98% of patients.

Follicular fluid meiosis-activating sterol (FF-MAS) promotes meiotic resumption via the MAPK pathway in porcine oocytes.

Follicular fluid meiosis-activating sterol (FF-MAS) exerts beneficial effects on the meiotic resumption of mammalian oocytes and their subsequent early embryonic development, but the signaling pathway underlying these effects has not been elucidated. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate whether the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is involved in the FF-MAS-induced in vitro resumption of meiosis in porcine oocytes. Porcine cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were allocated in several groups cultured in TCM-199 medium with different concentration of AY 9944-A-7 (20, 30, 40 µmol/L) or ketoconazole (20 µmol/L) to increase or decrease endogenous accumulation of FF-MAS. Each experimental condition was repeated at least six times. After maturation for 44 h, the resumption of meiosis was assessed by the frequency of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and the first polar body (PBI) extrusion, The relative expressions of related genes in MAPK pathway [c-mos, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2)] at both transcriptional and translational levels were detected to investigate the kinetic trend of expression throughout oocyte maturation in vitro in response to the addition of AY 9944-A-7 or ketoconazole to the maturation medium. Results indicated that AY 9944-A-7 promoted, while ketoconazole inhibited, the in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes. Relative expression of meiosis related genes was upregulated by AY 9944-A-7 and downregulated by ketoconazole. With extended culturing time, c-mos mRNA expression levels reached their peak at 12 h of maturation and decreased gradually thereafter, while MEK, ERK1 and ERK2 expression increased after an initial decrease peaking at 44 h of culture in the AY 9944-A-7-group. And the trend of the protein expression of c-mos, MEK, ERK1/2 was basically consistent with the mRNA expression of these genes. These results imply that the endogenous accumulation of FF-MAS is beneficial to resumption of meiosis in porcine oocytes and that MAPK signaling is involved in FF-MAS-induced meiotic resumption.

Antisense RNA: the new favorite in genetic research.

Antisense RNA molecule represents a unique type of DNA transcript that comprises 19-23 nucleotides and is complementary to mRNA. Antisense RNAs play the crucial role in regulating gene expression at multiple levels, such as at replication, transcription, and translation. In addition, artificial antisense RNAs can effectively regulate the expression of related genes in host cells. With the development of antisense RNA, investigating the functions of antisense RNAs has emerged as a hot research field. This review summarizes our current understanding of antisense RNAs, particularly of the formation of antisense RNAs and their mechanism of regulating the expression of their target genes. In addition, we detail the effects and applications of antisense RNAs in antivirus and anticancer treatments and in regulating the expression of related genes in plants and microorganisms. This review is intended to highlight the key role of antisense RNA in genetic research and guide new investigators to the study of antisense RNAs.

Exosome miR-371b-5p promotes proliferation of lung alveolar progenitor type II cells by using PTEN to orchestrate the PI3K/Akt signaling.

BACKGROUND: Pathways directing endogenous stem/progenitor cells to restore normal architecture and function of damaged/diseased lungs remain underexplored. Published data have revealed that alveolar progenitor type II cell (ATIIC)-derived signaling promotes re-epithelialization of injured alveoli, yet the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here we aim to define the role of ATIIC-derived exosome miRNA signaling in controlling ATIIC-specific proliferation or differentiation in response to injury. METHODS: Pluripotent stem cell-derived cultures, which contain early lung stem/progenitor populations that can subsequently differentiate into ATIICs, were used as a model for unbiased screening and identification of ATIIC phenotype-specific exosome miRNA signaling, and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived ATIICs (hiPSC-ATIICs) were employed to examine the molecular basis of key exosome miRNA signaling in promoting ATIIC-specific proliferation. QRT-PCR was performed to examine expression pattern of ATIIC-derived key exosome miRNA in an alveolar injury model and in injured human lungs. RESULTS: We show that human ATIIC line (A549)-derived exosome miR-371b-5p promotes ATIIC-specific proliferation, but not differentiation, in differentiating cultures of pluripotent stem cells. Using 3'UTR-driven luciferase reporters, we identified PTEN as a direct target of miR-371b-5p. Transfection of miR-371b-5p mimic into hiPSC-ATIICs leads to significantly decreased expression of endogenous PTEN, which stimulates phosphorylation of Akt and its downstream substrates, GSK3ß and FOXOs, promoting cell proliferation. While not expressed in normal ATIIC phenotypes, the exosome miR-371b-5p expression is significantly induced after hiPSC-ATIICs or hATIICs (human primary ATIICs) are subjected to bleomycin-induced injury. To rule out that the ATIIC-derived exosome-miRNAs are merely a cell culture phenomenon, we transplanted hiPSC-ATIICs into bleomycin-challenged lungs of mice, and found that the transplanted hiPSC-ATIICs engraft and express exosome miR-371b-5p, along with additional survival of numerous mouse ATIICs in bleomycin-injured lungs. Consistent with these findings, significant levels of exosome miR-371b-5p were also detected in lavage samples of patients with acute pneumonia, but not in those from patients without pulmonary disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our data strongly suggest that ATIIC-derived exosome miR-371b-5p may serve as a niche signaling to augment ATIIC survival/proliferation, promoting re-epithelialization of injured alveoli, and thus provide a promising novel target to develop treatment for currently incurable lung diseases.

Increased glucose utilization and cell growth of Corynebacterium glutamicum by modifying the glucose-specific phosphotransferase system (PTSGlc) genes.

The phosphoenolpyruvate:glucose phosphotransferase system (PTSGlc) is the major pathway of glucose uptake in Corynebacterium glutamicum. This study investigated glucose consumption rate, cell growth, and metabolite changes resulting from modification of PTSGlc. The classical l-lysine producer C. glutamicum XQ-8 exhibited low glucose consumption, cell growth, and l-lysine production rates, whereas these parameters were significantly increased during cultivating on glucose plus maltose, through inactivation of SugR, or by overexpression of PTSGlc genes. XQ-8sugR::cat/pDXW-8-ptsI exhibited the highest increase in glucose consumption, growth rate, and l-lysine production, followed by XQ-8sugR::cat/pDXW-8-ptsG. However, overexpression of ptsH had little effect on the above-mentioned factors. Although co-overexpression of ptsGHI led to the highest glucose consumption, growth rate, and final l-lysine production; the l-lysine production rate was lower than that of XQ-8sugR::cat/pDXW-8-ptsIH. In fed-batch fermentation, XQ-8sugR::cat/pDXW-8-ptsIH had a higher growth rate of 0.54 h-1 to a dry cell mass of 66 g·L-1 after 16 h, and had a higher l-lysine production rate of 159.2 g·L-1 after 36 h. These results indicate that modification of the sugar transport systems improves amino acid production, especially for mutants obtained by repeated physical and (or) chemical mutagenesis. However, modification of these systems needs to be performed on a case-by-case basis.

A method for simultaneous gene overexpression and inactivation in the Corynebacterium glutamicum genome.

The gene integration method is an important tool to stably express desirable genes in bacteria. To avoid heavy workload and cost, we constructed a rapid and efficient method for genome modification. This method depended on a mobilizable plasmid, which contains a P tac promoter, an introduced multiple cloning site (iMCS), and rrnBT1T2 terminator. Briefly, the mobilizable plasmid pK18-MBPMT with the P tac-iMCS-rrnBT1T2 cartridge derived from pK18mobsacB was prepared to directly integrate hetero-/homologous DNA into the Corynebacterium glutamicum genome. Like our previous method, this method was based on insertional inactivation and double-crossover homologous recombination, which simultaneously achieved gene overexpression and inactivation in the genome without the use of genetic markers. Compared to the previous method, this protocol omitted the construction of a recombinant expression plasmid and clone of the target gene(s) cassette, which significantly decreased the workload, cost, and operational time. Using this method, the heterologous gene amy and the homologous gene lysC (T311I) were successfully integrated into the C. glutamicum genome at alaT and avtA loci, respectively. Moreover, the operation time of this method was shorter than that of the previous method, especially for repeated integration. This method, which is based on the mobilizable plasmid pK18-MBPMT, thus represents a potentially attractive protocol for the integration of genes in the course of genetic modification of C. glutamicum.

Role of splenic reservoir monocytes in pulmonary vascular monocyte accumulation in experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pulmonary monocyte infiltration plays a significant role in the development of angiogenesis in experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) after common bile duct ligation (CBDL). Hepatic monocytes are also increased after CBDL, but the origins remain unclear. Splenic reservoir monocytes have been identified as a major source of monocytes that accumulate in injured tissues. Whether splenic monocytes contribute to monocyte alterations after CBDL is unknown. This study evaluates monocyte distributions and assesses effects of splenectomy on monocyte levels and pulmonary vascular and hepatic abnormalities in experimental HPS. METHODS: Splenectomy was performed in CBDL animals. Monocyte levels in different tissues and circulation were assessed with CD68. Pulmonary alterations of HPS were evaluated with vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) levels, angiogenesis, and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (AaPO2 ). Liver abnormalities were evaluated with fibrosis (Sirius red), bile duct proliferation (CK-19), and enzymatic changes. RESULTS: Monocyte levels increased in the lung and liver after CBDL and were accompanied by elevated circulating monocyte numbers. Splenectomy significantly decreased monocyte accumulation, VEGF-A levels, and angiogenesis in CBDL animal lung and improved AaPO2 levels. In contrast, hepatic monocyte levels, fibrosis, and functional abnormalities were further exacerbated by spleen removal. CONCLUSIONS: Splenic reservoir monocytes are a major source for lung monocyte accumulation after CBDL, and spleen removal attenuates the development of experimental HPS. Liver monocytes may have different origins, and accumulation is exacerbated after depletion of splenic reservoir monocytes. Tissue specific monocyte alterations, influenced by the spleen reservoir, have a significant impact on pulmonary complications of liver disease.

Alveolar type II epithelial cell dysfunction in rat experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS).

The hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) develops when pulmonary vasodilatation leads to abnormal gas exchange. However, in human HPS, restrictive ventilatory defects are also observed supporting that the alveolar epithelial compartment may also be affected. Alveolar type II epithelial cells (AT2) play a critical role in maintaining the alveolar compartment by producing four surfactant proteins (SPs, SP-A, SP-B, SP-C and SP-D) which also facilitate alveolar repair following injury. However, no studies have evaluated the alveolar epithelial compartment in experimental HPS. In this study, we evaluated the alveolar epithelial compartment and particularly AT2 cells in experimental HPS induced by common bile duct ligation (CBDL). We found a significant reduction in pulmonary SP production associated with increased apoptosis in AT2 cells after CBDL relative to controls. Lung morphology showed decreased mean alveolar chord length and lung volumes in CBDL animals that were not seen in control models supporting a selective reduction of alveolar airspace. Furthermore, we found that administration of TNF-α, the bile acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and FXR nuclear receptor activation (GW4064) induced apoptosis and impaired SP-B and SP-C production in alveolar epithelial cells in vitro. These results imply that AT2 cell dysfunction occurs in experimental HPS and is associated with alterations in the alveolar epithelial compartment. Our findings support a novel contributing mechanism in experimental HPS that may be relevant to humans and a potential therapeutic target.

An overlooked effect of glycine betaine on fermentation: prevents caramelization and increases the L-lysine production.

This article focuses on the effects of glycine betaine on preventing caramelization, and increasing DCW and L-lysine production. The additional glycine betaine not only decreased the browning intensity (decreased 4 times), and the concentrations of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (decreased 7.8 times) and furfural (decreased 12 times), but also increased the availability of glucose (increased 17.5%) for L-lysine production. The DCW and L-lysine production were increased by adding no more than 20 mM glycine betaine, whereas the DCW and L-lysine production were decreased with the reduction of pH values, although pH had a better response to prevent caramelization than did glycine betaine. For L-lysine production, the highest increase (40%) was observed on the media with 20 mM glycine betaine. The crucial enzymes in glycolysis and L-lysine biosynthesis pathway were investigated. The results indicated that additional glycine betaine increases the activity of enzymes in glycolysis, in contrast to the effect of pH. All the results indicated that glycine betaine can be used to prevent caramelization and increase the L-lysine production. By applying this strategy, glucose would not be have to be separated from the culture media during autoclaving so that factories can save production costs and shorten the fermentation period.

Metabolic engineering Corynebacterium glutamicum for the L-lysine production by increasing the flux into L-lysine biosynthetic pathway.

The experiments presented here were based on the conclusions of our previous results. In order to avoid introduction of expression plasmid and to balance the NADH/NAD ratio, the NADH biosynthetic enzyme, i.e., NAD-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GADPH), was replaced by NADP-dependent GADPH, which was used to biosynthesize NADPH rather than NADH. The results indicated that the NADH/NAD ratio significantly decreased, and glucose consumption and L-lysine production drastically improved. Moreover, increasing the flux through L-lysine biosynthetic pathway and disruption of ilvN and hom, which involve in the branched amino acid and L-methionine biosynthesis, further improved L-lysine production by Corynebacterium glutamicum. Compared to the original strain C. glutamicum Lys5, the L-lysine production and glucose conversion efficiency (α) were enhanced to 81.0 ± 6.59 mM and 36.45% by the resulting strain C. glutamicum Lys5-8 in shake flask. In addition, the by-products (i.e., L-threonine, L-methionine and L-valine) were significantly decreased as results of genetic modification in homoserine dehydrogenase (HSD) and acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS). In fed-batch fermentation, C. glutamicum Lys5-8 began to produce L-lysine at post-exponential growth phase and continuously increased over 36 h to a final titer of 896 ± 33.41 mM. The L-lysine productivity was 2.73 g l(-1) h(-1) and the α was 47.06% after 48 h. However, the attenuation of MurE was not beneficial to increase the L-lysine production because of decreasing the cell growth. Based on the above-mentioned results, we get the following conclusions: cofactor NADPH, precursor, the flux through L-lysine biosynthetic pathway and DCW are beneficial to improve L-lysine production in C. glutamicum.

Endothelin-1 activation of the endothelin B receptor modulates pulmonary endothelial CX3CL1 and contributes to pulmonary angiogenesis in experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome.

Hepatic production and release of endothelin-1 (ET-1) binding to endothelin B (ETB) receptors, overexpressed in the lung microvasculature, is associated with accumulation of pro-angiogenic monocytes and vascular remodeling in experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) after common bile duct ligation (CBDL). We have recently found that lung vascular monocyte adhesion and angiogenesis in HPS involve interaction of endothelial C-X3-C motif ligand 1 (CX3CL1) with monocyte CX3C chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1), although whether ET-1/ETB receptor activation influences these events is unknown. Our aim was to define if ET-1/ETB receptor activation modulates CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling and lung angiogenesis in experimental HPS. A selective ETB receptor antagonist, BQ788, was given for 2 weeks to 1-week CBDL rats. ET-1 (±BQ788) was given to cultured rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells overexpressing ETB receptors. BQ788 treatment significantly decreased lung angiogenesis, monocyte accumulation, and CX3CL1 levels after CBDL. ET-1 treatment significantly induced CX3CL1 production in lung microvascular endothelial cells, which was blocked by inhibitors of Ca(2+) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/ERK pathways. ET-1-induced ERK activation was Ca(2+) independent. ET-1 administration also increased endothelial tube formation in vitro, which was inhibited by BQ788 or by blocking Ca(2+) and MEK/ERK activation. CX3CR1 neutralizing antibody partially inhibited ET-1 effects on tube formation. These findings identify a novel mechanistic interaction between the ET-1/ETB receptor axis and CX3CL1/CX3CR1 in mediating pulmonary angiogenesis and vascular monocyte accumulation in experimental HPS.

A method for gene amplification and simultaneous deletion in Corynebacterium glutamicum genome without any genetic markers.

A method for the simultaneous replacement of a given gene by a target gene, leaving no genetic markers, has been developed. The method is based on insertional inactivation and double-crossover homologous recombination. With this method, the lysC(T311I), fbp and ddh genes were inserted into Corynebacterium glutamicum genome, and the pck, alaT and avtA genes were deleted. Mobilizable plasmids with lysC(T311I), fbp and ddh cassettes and two homologous arms on the ends of pck, alaT and avtA were constructed, and then transformed into C. glutamicum. The target-expression cassettes were inserted in the genome via the first homologous recombination, and the genetic markers were removed via the second recombination. The target-transformants were sequentially screened from kanamycin-resistance and sucrose-resistance plates. The enzyme activities of transformants were stably maintained for 30 generations under non-selective culture conditions, suggesting that the integrated cassettes in host were successfully expressed and maintained as stable chromosomal insertions in C. glutamicum. The target-transformants were used to optimize the l-lysine production, showing that the productions were strongly increased because the selected genes were closely linked to l-lysine production. In short, this method can be used to construct amino acid high-producing strains with unmarked gene amplification and simultaneous deletion in genome.

The role of receptor tyrosine kinase activation in cholangiocytes and pulmonary vascular endothelium in experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome.

Pulmonary vascular dilation and angiogenesis underlie experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) induced by common bile duct ligation (CBDL) and may respond to receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibition. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) expression occurs in proliferating cholangiocytes and pulmonary intravascular monocytes after CBDL, the latter contributing to angiogenesis. CBDL cholangiocytes also produce endothelin-1 (ET-1), which triggers lung vascular endothelin B receptor-mediated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation and pulmonary intravascular monocyte accumulation. However, whether RTK pathway activation directly regulates cholangiocyte and pulmonary microvascular alterations in experimental HPS is not defined. We assessed RTK pathway activation in cholangiocytes and lung after CBDL and the effects of the type II RTK inhibitor sorafenib in experimental HPS. Cholangiocyte VEGF-A expression and ERK activation accompanied proliferation and increased hepatic and circulating ET-1 levels after CBDL. Sorafenib decreased each of these events and led to a reduction in lung eNOS activation and intravascular monocyte accumulation. Lung monocyte VEGF-A expression and microvascular Akt and ERK activation were also found in vivo after CBDL, and VEGF-A activated Akt and ERK and angiogenesis in rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells in vitro. Sorafenib inhibited VEGF-A-mediated signaling and angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro and improved arterial gas exchange and intrapulmonary shunting. RTK activation in experimental HPS upregulates cholangiocyte proliferation and ET-1 production, leading to pulmonary microvascular eNOS activation, intravascular monocyte accumulation, and VEGF-A-mediated angiogenic signaling pathways. These findings identify a novel mechanism in cholangiocytes through which RTK inhibition ameliorates experimental HPS.

Improvement of cell growth and L-lysine production by genetically modified Corynebacterium glutamicum during growth on molasses.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) and fructokinase (ScrK) have important roles in regenerating glucose-6-phosphate in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and thus increasing L-lysine production. This article focuses on the development of L-lysine high-producing strains by heterologous expression of FBPase gene fbp and ScrK gene scrK in C. glutamicum lysC (fbr) with molasses as the sole carbon source. Heterologous expression of fbp and scrK lead to a decrease of residual sugar in fermentation broth, and heterologous expression of scrK prevents the fructose efflux. Heterologous expression of fbp and scrK not only increases significantly the activity of corresponding enzymes but also improves cell growth during growth on molasses. FBPase activities are increased tenfold by heterologous expression of fbp, whereas the FBPase activity is only increase fourfold during co-expression of scrK and fbp. Compared with glucose, the DCW of heterologous expression strains are higher on molasses except co-expression of fbp and scrK strain. In addition, heterologous expression of fbp and scrK can strongly increase the L-lysine production with molasses as the sole carbon source. The highest increase (88.4 %) was observed for C. glutamicum lysC (fbr) pDXW-8-fbp-scrK, but the increase was also significant for C. glutamicum lysC (fbr) pDXW-8-fbp (47.2 %) and C. glutamicum lysC (fbr) pDXW-8-scrK (36.8 %). By-products, such as glycerol and dihydroxyacetone, are decreased by heterologous expression of fbp and scrK, whereas trehalose is only slightly increased. The strategy for enhancing L-lysine production by regeneration of glucose-6-phosphate in PPP may provide a reference to enhance the production of other amino acids during growth on molasses or starch.

The lung in liver disease: old problem, new concepts.

Liver dysfunction has been recognized to influence the lung in many different clinical situations, although the mechanisms for these effects are not well understood. One increasingly recognized interaction, the hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) occurs in the context of cirrhosis and results when alveolar microvascular dilation causes arterial gas exchange abnormalities and hypoxemia. HPS occurs in up to 30% of patients with cirrhosis and significantly increases mortality in affected patients. Currently, liver transplantation is the only curative therapy. Experimental biliary cirrhosis induced by common bile duct ligation (CBDL) in the rat reproduces the pulmonary vascular and gas exchange abnormalities of human HPS and has been contrasted with other experimental models of cirrhosis in which HPS does not develop. Microvascular dilation, intravascular monocyte infiltration, and angiogenesis in the lung have been identified as pathologic features that drive gas exchange abnormalities in experimental HPS. Our recent studies have identified biliary epithelium and activation and interaction between the endothelin-1 (ET-1)/endothelial endothelin B (ETB) receptor and CX3CL1/CX3CR1 pathways as important mechanisms for the observed pathologic events. These studies define novel interactions between the lung and liver in cirrhosis and may lead to effective medical therapies.