Lipid homeostasis is essential for oogenesis and embryogenesis in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Reproduction, a fundamental feature of all known life, closely correlates with energy homeostasis. The control of synthesizing and mobilizing lipids are dynamic and well-organized processes to distribute lipid resources across tissues or generations. However, how lipid homeostasis is precisely coordinated during insect reproductive development is poorly understood. Here we describe the relations between energy metabolism and reproduction in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, a lepidopteran model insect, by using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutation analysis and comprehensively functional investigation on two major lipid lipases of Brummer (BmBmm) and hormone-sensitive lipase (BmHsl), and the sterol regulatory element binding protein (BmSrebp). BmBmm is a crucial regulator of lipolysis to maintain female fecundity by regulating the triglyceride (TG) storage among the midgut, the fat body, and the ovary. Lipidomics analysis reveals that defective lipolysis of females influences the composition of TG and other membrane lipids in the BmBmm mutant embryos. In contrast, BmHsl mediates embryonic development by controlling sterol metabolism rather than TG metabolism. Transcriptome analysis unveils that BmBmm deficiency significantly improves the expression of lipid synthesis-related genes including BmSrebp in the fat body. Subsequently, we identify BmSrebp as a key regulator of lipid accumulation in oocytes, which promotes oogenesis and cooperates with BmBmm to support the metabolic requirements of oocyte production. In summary, lipid homeostasis plays a vital role in supporting female reproductive success in silkworms.

Mechanistic characterization of a Drosophila model of paraneoplastic nephrotic syndrome.

Paraneoplastic syndromes occur in cancer patients and originate from dysfunction of organs at a distance from the tumor or its metastasis. A wide range of organs can be affected in paraneoplastic syndromes; however, the pathological mechanisms by which tumors influence host organs are poorly understood. Recent studies in the fly uncovered that tumor secreted factors target host organs, leading to pathological effects. In this study, using a Drosophila gut tumor model, we characterize a mechanism of tumor-induced kidney dysfunction. Specifically, we find that Pvf1, a PDGF/VEGF signaling ligand, secreted by gut tumors activates the PvR/JNK/Jra signaling pathway in the principal cells of the kidney, leading to mis-expression of renal genes and paraneoplastic renal syndrome-like phenotypes. Our study describes an important mechanism by which gut tumors perturb the function of the kidney, which might be of clinical relevance for the treatment of paraneoplastic syndromes.

Inactivation of the TGF-ß1/ALK5 axis enhances club cell function and alleviates lung tissue damage to ameliorate COPD progression through the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent and fatal disease worldwide. The function of club cells, which are considered progenitor/stem cells of the bronchial epithelium, and their secreted protein CC16, have been proposed as potential targets for COPD treatment. This study aimed to investigate the role of the TGF-ß1/ALK5 signaling pathway in club cell function and COPD progression. C57BL/6J mice were divided into Normal group (exposed to fresh air) and COPD group (exposed to incremental cigarette smoke extract for 12 weeks). The COPD mice were further divided into COPD group, DMSO group, and LY2109761 group (injected with 150 mg/kg LY2109761, a TGF-ß1 inhibitor). Tissue staining was used to assess lung damage, and the expression of CC16 was measured. The levels of inflammatory factors and DNA damage-related indicators were also measured. The involvement of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway was determined. COPD mice exhibited severe lung damage and impaired club cell function. Activation of the TGF-ß1/ALK5 and MEK/ERK pathways were observed in COPD mice. However, administration of LY2109761 in COPD mice inactivated the TGF-ß1/ALK5 and MEK/ERK pathways. Administration of LY2109761 also alleviated pulmonary fibrosis, downregulated the levels cleaved caspase-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-12, and IFN-γ, and limited the phosphorylation of Chk1. Moreover, LY2109761 enhanced CC16 expression and decreased lung cell apoptosis. Inactivation of the TGF-ß1/ALK5 axis inhibits the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, enhances club cell function, and alleviates lung tissue damage. These findings suggest that TGF-ß1 is a potential therapeutic target for COPD.

The novel mechanism of human norovirus induced diarrhea: Activation of PKD2 caused by HuNoVs destroyed AQP3 expression through AP2γ in intestinal epithelial cells.

Our previous work has demonstrated protein kinase D2 (PKD2) played a critical influence in experimental colitis in animal. However, the role of PKD2 in human norovirus (HuNoVs)-induced diarrhea remained unknown. Aquaporin 3 (AQP3) expression, a critical protein mediating diarrhea, was assessed by western blot, qRT-PCR in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). Luciferase, IF, IP and ChIP assay were used to explore the mechanism through which HuNoVs regulated AQP3. Herein, we found that AQP3 expression was drastically decreased in IECs in response to VP1 transfection, the major capsid protein of HuNoVs, or HuNoVs infection. Mechanistically, HuNoVs triggered phosphorylation of PKD2 through TLR2/MyD88/IRAK4, which further inhibited AP2γ activation and nuclear translocation, leading to suppress AQP3 transactivation in IECs. Most importantly, PKD2 interacted with MyD88/IRAK4, and VP1 overexpression enhanced this complex form, which, in turn, to increase PKD2 phosphorylation. In addition, endogenous PKD2 interacted with AP2γ, and this interaction was enhanced in response to HuNoVs treatment, and subsequently resulting in AP2γ phosphorylation inhibition. Moreover, inhibition of PKD2 activation could reverse the inhibitory effect of HuNoVs on AQP3 expression. In summary, we established a novel mechanism that HuNoV inhibited AQP3 expression through TLR2/MyD88/IRAK4/PKD2 signaling pathway, targeting PKD2 activity could be a promising strategy for prevention of HuNoVs-induced gastroenteritis.

Helicobacter pylori promotes gastric intestinal metaplasia through activation of IRF3-mediated kynurenine pathway.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic reprogramming is a critical event for cell fate and function, making it an attractive target for clinical therapy. The function of metabolic reprogramming in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-infected gastric intestinal metaplasia remained to be identified. METHODS: Xanthurenic acid (XA) was measured in gastric cancer cells treated with H. pylori or H. pylori virulence factor, respectively, and qPCR and WB were performed to detect CDX2 and key metabolic enzymes expression. A subcellular fractionation approach, luciferase and ChIP combined with immunofluorescence were applied to reveal the mechanism underlying H. pylori mediated kynurenine pathway in intestinal metaplasia in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: Herein, we, for the first time, demonstrated that H. pylori contributed to gastric intestinal metaplasia characterized by enhanced Caudal-related homeobox transcription factor-2 (CDX2) and mucin2 (MUC2) expression, which was attributed to activation of kynurenine pathway. H. pylori promoted kynurenine aminotransferase II (KAT2)-mediated kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism, leading to XA production, which further induced CDX2 expression in gastric epithelial cells. Mechanically, H. pylori activated cyclic guanylate adenylate synthase (cGAS)-interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) pathway in gastric epithelial cells, leading to enhance IRF3 nuclear translocation and the binding of IRF3 to KAT2 promoter. Inhibition of KAT2 could significantly reverse the effect of H. pylori on CDX2 expression. Also, the rescue phenomenon was observed in gastric epithelial cells treated with H. pylori after IRF3 inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Most importantly, phospho-IRF3 was confirmed to be a clinical positive relationship with CDX2. CONCLUSION: These finding suggested H. pylori contributed to gastric intestinal metaplasia through KAT2-mediated kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism via cGAS-IRF3 signaling, targeting the kynurenine pathway could be a promising strategy to prevent gastric intestinal metaplasia caused by H. pylori infection. Video Abstract.

Rabeprazole destroyed gastric epithelial barrier function through FOXF1/STAT3-mediated ZO-1 expression.

Rabeprazole is a representative of proton pump inhibitors and widely used in anti-ulcer treatment. However, the effect of Rabeprazole on gut barrier function remains to be identified. In this study, we show that ZO-1 expression is decreased in patients receiving Rabeprazole by immunofluorescence (IF) analysis. Western blotting (WB) and real-time PCR (qPCR) results demonstrate that Rabeprazole treatment leads to a significant downregulation of ZO-1 expression through inhibition of the FOXF1/STAT3 pathway, leading to destroy barrier function, which illustrates a novel pathway that Rabeprazole regulates barrier function in gastric epithelial cells. Mechanistically, Rabeprazole treatment led to a downregulation of STAT3 and FOXF1 phosphorylation, leading to inhibit nuclear translocation and decrease the binding of STAT3 and FOXF1 to ZO-1 promoter, respectively. Most important, endogenous FOXF1 interacted with STAT3, and this interaction was dramatically abolished by Rabeprazole stimulation. Overexpression of STAT3 and FOXF1 in GES-1 cells reversed the inhibitory effect of Rabeprazole on ZO-1 expression, respectively. These finding extended the function of Rabeprazole and established a previously unappreciated mechanism by which the Rabeprazole/FOXF1/STAT3 axis facilitated ZO-1 expression to regulate barrier function, and a comprehensive consideration and evaluation was required in treatment of patients.

Exploring Google Translate-friendly strategies for optimizing the quality of Google Translate in academic writing contexts.

The present study explored the types of errors found in Google Translate (GT) Chinese-to-English translations and, based on those error types, proposes strategies for optimizing the performance of GT. Seven abstracts written in both Chinese and English from seven articles published in English Teaching and Learning in 2017 were selected as the materials. The researchers compared the GT translations to the English abstracts written by the original author(s) and analyzed the problems in the translations. The problematic translations consisted of grammatical errors (35%) and lexical errors (65%). Relatedly, we propose nine specific strategies to employ when writing Chinese abstracts to be translated into English using GT. According to the strategies, we suggest that users (1) avoid native language-specific expressions, (2) maintain the use of original English terminologies in composing Chinese abstracts, and (3) enhance logical relations and expressions for the discipline-specific discourse community. Further analyses revealed that 99% of the 69 identified problems in the GT translations of the seven abstracts could be avoided by using the proposed strategies. A conceptual framework for the collaboration between GT and GT users is proposed and pedagogical implications are discussed.

The Moderation Role of Neuroticism for Anxiety among Burdened Dementia Caregivers: A Study on Care Giver-Recipient Dyads.

Caregiving burden proves to be a risk factor of anxiety disorders and anxiety affection. The current study investigates how an endogenous personality dimension - neuroticism - moderates the association between caregiving burden and anxiety affection. Between 2015 and 2017, the study deployed a cross-sectional survey of 674 (response rate = 89%) older adults who were hospitalized for dementia at two hospitals. From all primary caregivers of these patients, 661 agreed to participate in the survey which yielded 661 matched dyads as the final sample. Caregiving burden, neuroticism, and anxiety affection were each measured by established assessment instruments. We employed multivariate OLS regression to test the moderator and regressor effects. We found that care burden is a significant risk factor of higher levels of anxiety affection (ß = .17, p < .001), and accounts for 4.6% of the variance in anxiety. Neurotic personality is also significantly associated with a greater level of anxiety (ß = .26, p < .001). Neurotic personality moderates the association between anxiety and care burden (ß = .24, p < .001). Our findings suggest that social and healthcare workers should assess caregiver personality and burden as well as provide support, resources, and coping strategies to those with neurotic personality traits or high care burden in an effort to reduce anxiety among caregivers.

Two dehydroecdysone reductases act as fat body-specific 20E catalyzers in Bombyx mori.

Periodic post-embryonic changes in insects, including growth, development and metamorphosis, are strictly controlled by many compounds, including steroid hormones. The biosynthesis and clearance of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), the major active form of the insect steroid hormone ecdysone, result in titer fluctuations that help control insect development. The inactivation of 20E in the silkworm Bombyx mori is highly tissue-specific, with CYP18A1 and ecdysone oxidase controlling 20E inactivation specifically in the mid-silk gland and midgut, respectively. Here, we characterized silkworm 3-dehydroecdysone 3α reductase (Bm3DE3α) and 3-dehydroecdysone 3ß reductase (Bm3DE3ß), two enzymes involved predominantly in the C-3-mediated catalysis of 20E in fat bodies. The ubiquitous and silk gland-specific overexpression of Bm3DE3α decreased the 20E titer, resulting in larval lethality and larval-pupal transition failure, respectively. In contrast, the ubiquitous and mid-silk gland-specific overexpression of Bm3DE3ß increased the 20E titer, resulting in larval growth delays and lethality at the mid-fifth larval stage, respectively. Thus, Bm3DE3α and Bm3DE3ß mediate fat body-specific steroid hormone metabolism in B. mori, indicating that highly diversified 20E metabolism-related mechanisms exist in different insect species.

Monocarboxylate Transporter 4 Triggered Cell Pyroptosis to Aggravate Intestinal Inflammation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

NLRP3 inflammasome has emerged as a crucial regulator of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. The expression of MCT4 is significantly increased in intestinal mucosal tissue of IBD, which has been identified to regulate intestinal barrier function. However, the function of MCT4 in cell pyroptosis remained unknown. In this study, we have established a stable cell line with MCT4 overexpression in HT-29 and CaCO2 cells, respectively. Functional analysis revealed that ectopic expression of MCT4 in CaCO2 cells contributed to cell pyroptosis as evidenced by LDH assay, which is largely attributed to Caspase-1-mediated canonical pyroptosis, but not Caspase-4 and Caspase-5, leading to cleave pro-IL-1ß and IL-18 into mature form and release mediated by cleaved GSDMD. Mechanically, MCT4 overexpression in HT-29 and CaCO2 cell triggered the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and NF-κB p65, while inhibition of MCT4 by MCT inhibitor α-Cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (α-CHCA) in HT-29 and CaCO2 cells led to a significant downregulation of ERK1/2 and NF-κB activity. What's more, blockade of ERK1/2-NF-κB pathway could reverse the promotion effect of MCT4 on IL-1ß expression. Importantly, both MCT4 and Caspase-1, GSDMD were significantly increased in patients with IBD, and a positive clinical correlation between MCT4 and Caspase-1 expression was observed (p < 0.001). Taken together, these findings suggested that MCT4 promoted Caspase-1-mediated canonical cell pyroptosis to aggravate intestinal inflammation in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) through the ERK1/2-NF-κB pathway.

Rabeprazole suppresses cell proliferation in gastric epithelial cells by targeting STAT3-mediated glycolysis.

The dysregulation of glycolysis leads to serials of disease. Rabeprazole is a representative of proton pump inhibitors and widely used in anti-ulcer treatment. However, the function of Rabeprazole on glycolysis in gastric epithelial cells remained to be identified. In this study, 30（Helicobacter pylori）H. pylori-negative cases and 26H. pylori-positive cases treated with Rabeprazole were recruited. The qPCR and Western blotting results showed that Rabeprazole suppressed cell proliferation by inhibition of HK2-mediated glycolysis in BGC823 cells, leading to decrease glucose uptake and lactate production in a dose-dependent way. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was drastically reduced in response to Rabeprazole stimulation, leading to attenuate STAT3 nuclear translocation. Luciferase and Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis showed that Rabeprazole treatment led to a significant inhibition of the binding of STAT3 to the promoter of the HK2 gene, repressing transcriptional activation of HK2. Moreover, the ectopic expression of STAT3 in BGC823 cells resulted in recovery of HK2 transactivation and cell proliferation in Rabeprazole-treated cells. Most importantly, HK2 expression was significantly increased in H. pylori-infected gastric mucosa. These findings suggested that Rabeprazole inhibited cell proliferation by targeting STAT3/HK2 signaling-mediated glucose metabolism in gastric epithelial cells. Therefore, targeting HK2 is an alternative strategy in improving the treatment of patients with H. pylori infection.

A CCCH zinc finger gene regulates doublesex alternative splicing and male development in Bombyx mori.

Recent identification of a Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA)-initiated sex determination cascade in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, provides novel insights into high diversity of insect sex determination pathways. In this system, the W-chromosome-derived Fem piRNA is the primary sex determination signal. A CCCH-type zinc finger gene Masculinizer (Masc), which is targeted by Fem piRNA-PIWI complex in female animals, is indispensable for male-specific splicing of B. mori doublesex (Bmdsx). Although many genes involved in this cascade have been identified, the regulatory mechanisms of silkworm sex determination remain to be elucidated. Here we show that another CCCH-type zinc finger gene, Bmznf-2, is a masculinization factor in B. mori. Bmznf-2 shows testis-abundant expression and loss of Bmznf-2 function via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats / single-guide RNA-mediated mutagenesis results in feminized differentiation and appearance of the female-specific splicing variants of Bmdsx transcripts in males. In contrast, there is no phenotypic consequence in mutant females. In mutant males, relative messenger RNA expression levels of female-dominant genes such as vitellogenin and sex-specific storage protein 1 are significantly elevated while several male-dominant genes are significantly down-regulated. Furthermore, male mutants show delayed developmental timing, smaller body sizes of larvae and malformation of moth wings. Our data thus reveal that Bmznf-2 plays an indispensable role in silkworm male sexual differentiation.

The receptor tyrosine kinase torso regulates ecdysone homeostasis to control developmental timing in Bombyx mori.

Insect growth and development are precisely controlled by hormone homeostasis. The prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) receptor, Torso, is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family in insects. Activation of Torso by PTTH triggers biosynthesis and release of the steroid hormone in the prothoracic gland (PG). Although numbers of genes functioning in steroid hormone synthesis and metabolism have been identified in insects, the PTTH transduction pathway via its receptor Torso is poorly understood. In the current study, we describe a loss-of-function analysis of Torso in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, by targeted gene disruption using the transgenic CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/RNA-guided Cas9 nucleases) system. Depletion of B. mori Torso (BmTorso) did not eventually affect larval ecdysis and metamorphosis processes. Instead, BmTorso deficiency resulted in significant extension of developing time during larval and pupal stages with increased pupa and cocoon sizes. The ecdysteriod titers in the hemolymph of BmTorso mutants sharpy declined. Transcriptional levels of genes involved in ecdysone biosynthesis and ecdysteroid signaling pathways were significantly reduced in BmTorso-deficient animals. Additionally, RNA-Seq analysis revealed that genes involved in the longevity pathway and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum pathway were affected after BmTorso deletion. These results indicate that Torso is critical for maintaining steroid hormone homeostasis in insects.

Clinical Significance of CD147 in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: CD147/basigin (Bsg), a transmembrane glycoprotein, activates matrix metalloproteinases and promotes inflammation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore the clinical significance of CD147 in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). RESULTS: In addition to monocytes, the clinical analysis showed that there is no significance obtained in leucocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil, and erythrocyte between IBD and controls. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that CD147 was increased in intestinal tissue of patients with active IBD compared to that in the control group. What is more, CD147 is involved in intestinal barrier function and intestinal inflammation, which was attributed to the fact that it has an influence on MCT4 expression, a regulator of intestinal barrier function and intestinal inflammation, in HT-29 and CaCO2 cells. Most importantly, serum level of CD147 content is higher in active IBD than that in inactive IBD or healthy control, which could be a biomarker of IBD. CONCLUSION: The data suggested that increased CD147 level could be a biomarker of IBD in children.

Omeprazole, an inhibitor of proton pump, suppresses De novo lipogenesis in gastric epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: De novo lipogenesis (DNL) has been reported to involve in a serial types of disease. A standard triple therapy, including a PPI, omeprazole, and antibiotics (clarithromycin and amoxicillin), is widely used as the first-line regimen for helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-infectious treatment. The objective of this study is to explore the function of a standard triple therapy on DNL. METHODS AND RESULTS: We collected the clinical sample from the patients diagnosed with or without H. pylori infection. Oil red staining, real-time PCR, western blotting (WB) and adipored experiment were performed to detect the effect of a standard triple therapy on DNL. The expression of relative key enzymes was assessed in gastric mucosa of clinical sample by IHC. Both 54 cases with H. pylori-negative and 37 cases with H. pylori-positive were enrolled in this study, and IHC assay showed that both fatty acid synthase (FASN) and ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) expression, the critical enzymes involved in DNL, were increased in gastric mucosa of patients with H. pylori-positive compared with that with H. pylori-negative. Real-time PCR and WB analysis showed that neither clarithromycin nor amoxicillin inhibited FASN and ACLY expression, while treatment of BGC823 cells with omeprazole with 200 µM or 300 µM significantly abolished FASN and ACLY expression, leading to reduce lipid content. CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that omeprazole suppressed DNL in gastric cells, implying that targeting DNL is an alternative strategy in improving the treatment of patients with H. pylori infection.

Molecular Disruption of Ion Transport Peptide Receptor Results in Impaired Water Homeostasis and Developmental Defects in Bombyx mori.

Insect ion transport peptides (ITPs) are important regulators of many physiological processes and they exert their functions by interacting with their receptors (ITPRs). In the current study, we comprehensively investigated the physiological functions of ITPR in the lepidopteran model insect, the silkworm (Bombyx mori), using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease (Cas9) genome editing technique. Mutations in silkworm ITPR (BNGR-A2) resulted in a prolongnation of the larval stage by 3.5-day as well as failure in wing expansion of moths. The BNGR-A2 mutation accelerated food transition throughout the digestive tract, which is 1.55-fold that of wild type (WT) insects. Excretion was 1.56-fold of WT insects during the larval stage, resulting in the loss of body water content. Loss of BNGR-A2 function induced significant upregulation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzyme activity and nitric oxide (NO) content, as well as downstream Ca2+/NO/cGMP signaling pathways. Key genes in insulin and ecdysone signaling pathways were also affected by BNGR-A2 disruption. Our data show that ITPR plays key roles in regulating insect water homeostasis and development.

Meta-analysis of the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and upper aerodigestive tract cancer risk.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have reported an inconsistent relationship between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer risk. However, no systematic review or meta-analysis has been reported up to now. To quantify the association between DII and UADT cancer risk, we performed this meta-analysis. METHODS: The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library database were searched for relevant studies from inception December 2018. All case-control studies investigating the association between DII and UADT cancer risk were selected. RESULTS: A total of 9 case-control studies were identified, involving 13,714 participants. The adjusted pooled OR of UADT cancer for the highest (the most pro-inflammatory diet) vs lowest (the most anti-inflammatory diet) DII categories were 2.27 (95% CI: 1.89-2.73). Subgroup analysis showed that individuals with the highest category of DII score were independently associated with esophagus cancer (OR = 2.53, 95% CI: 1.74-3.68), oral cavity cancer (OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.73-2.86), pharyngeal cancer (OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.54-2.64), and laryngeal cancer (OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 0.85-4.93). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggested that the most pro-inflammatory diets (the highest DII scores) are associated with increased UADT cancer risk. However, the association between DII and laryngeal cancer risk need to be further investigated.

[Expression of miR-21 in peripheral blood serum and mononuclear cells in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its clinical significance].

OBJECTIVE: To explore expression of miR-21 in peripheral blood serum and mononuclear cells of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to discuss the significance and underlying mechanisms.
 METHODS: The subjects were divided into a healthy control group (n=41) and a COPD group (n=49). The miR-21 level was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The correlations between miR-21 and lung function or forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were analyzed.
 RESULTS: The expression levels of miR-21 in the serum and mononuclear cells in the COPD group were significantly elevated compared with those in the healthy group (P<0.05). The expression of miR-21 was correlated with the lung function of COPD patients. The expression level of miR-21 in the COPD patients was positively correlated with FEV1. 
 CONCLUSION: The upregulation of miR-21 in peripheral blood serum and mononuclear cells of COPD patients may contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD and the severity of this disease.

[Study on of the current status of volatile organic compounds pollution in typical rural drinking water and the relationship between its concentration and health of the population, in Huai'an, Jiangsu].

OBJECTIVE: This study was to understand the status of pollution on drinking water, by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), among rural residents living in the basin of Huaihe River. Relationship between the morbidity, morbidity of cancers and VOCs were also explored. METHODS: 28 villages were chosen from Xuyi,Jinhu, Chuzhou along the Huaihe River, with water samples collected from ditch pond water, shallow wells, deep wells in November-December 2010. VOCs indicators were evaluated according to the Standard Quality GB 5749-2006 for Drinking Water. RESULTS: Methylene chloride, chloroform, benzene and carbon tetrachloride were all detected in 76 water samples. The rates of chloroform, benzene, carbon tetrachloride which exceeding the quality standards were 3.95% , 21.05% and 22.37% , but no significant differences were found among these three water resources in chloroform, benzene or carbon tetrachloride. Results from the correlation analysis showed that benzene had positive correlation with tumor deaths (r = 0.24, P < 0.05). Results from the risk assessment on health showed that some chloroform, benzene, carbon tetrachloride products which were related to the risks of cancers were exceeding the acceptable ranges of risk, with the rates as 28.95%, 22.37% and 64.47% but with no significant differences among the three water resources (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Drinking waters for rural residents along the Huaihe River were polluted while VOCs might have related to tumor incidence with potential impact and risk to the health of local residents.