High-throughput metabolomics method based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: Insights into the underlying mechanisms of salinity-alkalinity exposure-induced metabolites changes in Barbus capito.

It is critical to investigate the adaptive development and the physiological mechanism of fish in external stimulation. In this study, the response of Barbus capito to salinity-alkalinity exposure was explored by high-throughput nontargeted and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to investigate metabolic biomarker and pathway changes. Meanwhile, the biochemical indexes of Barbus capito were measured to discover the chronic impairment response to salinity-alkalinity exposures. A total of 29 tissue metabolites were determined to deciphering the endogenous metabolic changes of fishes during the different concentration salinity-alkalinity exposures environment, which were mainly involved in the key metabolism including the phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, citrate cycle, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Finally, we found the amino acid metabolism as key target was associated with the endogenous metabolites and metabolic pathways of Barbus capito to salinity-alkalinity exposures. In conclusion, metabolomics is a potentially powerful tool to reveal the mechanism information of fish in various exposure environments.

Exploring the metabolic biomarkers and pathway changes in crucian under carbonate alkalinity exposure using high-throughput metabolomics analysis based on UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS.

The aims of this study is to explore the metabolomic biomarker and pathway changes in crucian under carbonate alkalinity exposures using high-throughput metabolomics analysis based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole time of flight-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS) for carrying out adaptive evolution of fish in environmental exposures and understanding molecular physiological mechanisms of saline-alkali tolerance in fishes. Under 60 day exposure management, the UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS technology, coupled with a pattern recognition approach and metabolic pathway analysis, was utilized to give insight into the metabolic biomarker and pathway changes. In addition, biochemical parameters in response to carbonate alkalinity in fish were detected for chronic impairment evaluation. A total of twenty-seven endogenous metabolites were identified to distinguish the biochemical changes in fish in clean water under exposure to different concentrations of carbonate alkalinity (CA); these mainly involved amino acid synthesis and metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). Compared with the control group, CA exposure increased the level of blood ammonia; TP; ALB; Gln in the liver and gills; GS; urea in blood, the liver and gills; CREA; CPS; Glu and LDH; and decreased the level of weight gain rate, oxygen consumption, discharge rate of ammonia, SOD, CAT, ALT, AST and Na+/K+-ATPase. At low concentrations, CA can change the normal metabolism of fish in terms of changing the osmotic pressure regulation capacity, antioxidant capacity, ammonia metabolism and liver and kidney function to adapt to the CA exposure environment. As the concentration of CA increases, various metabolic processes in crucian are inhibited, causing chronic damage to the body. The results show that the metabolomic strategy is a potentially powerful tool for identifying the mechanisms in response to different environmental exposomes and offers precious information about the chronic response of fish to CA.

Cortistatin is dysregulated in skin tissue of patients with psoriasis vulgaris and suppresses keratinocyte proliferation in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is characterized by the unregulated proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes and increased expression of proinflammatory mediators in the skin. Cortistatin, an endogenous cyclic neuropeptide, inhibits the proliferation of inflammatory cells. We investigated the expression of cortistatin in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and examined its effects on keratinocyte growth in vitro. METHODS: Serum levels of cortistatin were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 72 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 76 age-matched healthy volunteers. Cortistatin expression was also examined by immunohistochemistry of skin biopsies from 14 patients and 14 healthy subjects. The effects of cortistatin on the proliferation of primary keratinocytes were assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and BrdU incorporation assay. Intracellular levels of cAMP in keratinocytes in the presence or absence of cortistatin were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: Serum levels of cortistatin and expression levels in skin were significantly lower in patients with psoriasis than in healthy subjects. Cortistatin inhibited keratinocyte proliferation in vitro in a dose-dependent manner and substantially reduced intracellular cAMP levels in keratinocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Cortistatin is downregulated in the skin of patients with psoriasis vulgaris and suppresses keratinocyte growth in vitro.

[Amplitude integrated electroencephalography characteristics of normal preterm newborns: a multicenter clinical study].

OBJECTIVE: To study the characteristics of amplitude integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) in preterm infants and changes of maturation with gestational age. METHODS: aEEG monitoring was done within 3 days of age with domestically produced digital aEEG set (CFM3000). Duration of each recording was at least 4 hours. The continuity, sleep-wake cycle, voltage and bandwidth of all aEEG tracing were analyzed. RESULTS: The percent of continuity background increased from 30% of 28 weeks to 85.7% of 36 weeks (χ(2) = 28.2, P = 0.026); the percent of mature sleep-wake cycle increased from 10% of 28 weeks to 100% of 36 weeks (χ(2) = 192.4, P < 0.01). Low bound voltage increased with gestational age, from (6.8 ± 1.7) µV (28 w) to 9.7 - 10.1 µV (35 - 36 w) (F = 11.4, P < 0.01). Bandwidth of the narrow band decreases gradually with gestational age, from 1.45 cm (28 w) to (0.86 ± 0.24) cm (36 w) (F = 8.731, P < 0.01). The correlation coefficient for continuity, sleep-wake cycle, low bound voltage and bandwidth of narrow band, and total scores were 0.32, 0.81, 0.38, 0.55 and 0.78 respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The older the gestational age of infants at birth, the more mature the aEEG pattern, manifested as increased continuity and sleep-wake cycle, the higher low bound voltage and more narrowed bandwidth with increased gestational age.

[Evaluation of risk factors for retinopathy of prematurity].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) through a prospective multicenter study. METHODS: Eleven children's or maternal & child hospitals participated in a collective network. All infants of birth weight < 2000 g, born in or transferred to one of the participating centers from January 1st 2005 to February 28th 2006 were recruited. Timely ophthalmologic examinations were performed. The relevant data at baseline and endpoints were collected at each unit. RESULTS: A total of 882 preterm infants fulfilled the screening criteria and 752 finished a followup. And 123 infants (16.4%) had some degree of ROP. Infants with ROP had a lower gestational age, birth weight and a longer duration of oxygen versus those without ROP [(30.82 +/- 0.20) weeks vs (32.56 +/- 0.09) weeks, (1430 +/- 25) g vs (1636 +/-10) g, (11.6 +/- 1.4) d vs (4.4 +/- 0.3) d]. Through a univariate analysis, birth weight, gestational age, asphyxia, oxygen duration > 5 days, apnea, surfactant usage, pneumonia, anemia, blood transfusion, acidosis and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) were associated with ROP (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight (OR = 0.998), apnea (OR = 1.653) and blood transfusion (OR = 1.763) were independent risk factors for ROP. CONCLUSION: Asphyxia, oxygen duration > 5 days, surfactant usage, anemia, acidosis and NRDS, lower birth weight, apnea and blood transfusion may improve the risks of ROP.