[Treatment of male immune infertility by traditional Chinese medicine: A meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of male immune infertility (MII) by meta-analysis. METHODS: We retrieved randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the treatment of male immune infertility with traditional Chinese medicine from the databases of WanFang, Chinese Biomedical Literature, Cochrane Library, Weipu, PubMed and CNKI, and performed methodological quality assessment of the RCTs identified and statistical analysis and evaluation of the publication bias using the RevMan5.4 software. RESULTS: Totally, 25 RCTs (2 563 cases) were included in this study. Compared with Western medicine alone in the treatment of MII, TCM achieved a significantly higher total effectiveness rate (OR = 6.35, 95% CI: 4.96－8.13, P<0.000 01), negative conversion rate of seminal plasma anti-sperm antibodies (OR = 4.52, 95% CI: 2.72 － 7.51, P<0.000 01), negative rate of serum anti-sperm antibodies (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 2.23－3.96, P<0.000 01), sperm concentration (MD = 15.56, 95% CI: 11.32－19.79, P<0.000 01), grade a sperm motility (MD = 3.85, 95% CI: 1.91－5.79, P=0.000 01), grade a+b sperm motility (MD = 13.77, 95% CI: 7.06－20.48, P<0.000 1), sperm viability (MD = 10.32, 95% CI: 6.78－13.86, P<0.000 01) and pregnancy rate (OR = 3.53, 95% CI: 2.68－4.63, P<0.000 01), but a lower rate of adverse reactions (OR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01－0.23, P<0.000 01). There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm between TCM and Western medicine alone in the treatment of MII (MD = －7.53, 95% CI: －15.50－0.44, P = 0.06). CONCLUSION: TCM has a definite effectiveness and high safe in the treatment of male immune infertility.

Uric acid metabolism promotes apoptosis against Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

The white epidermis of silkworms is due to the accumulation of uric acid crystals. Abnormal silkworm uric acid metabolism decreases uric acid production, leading to a transparent or translucent phenotype. The oily silkworm op50 is a mutant strain with a highly transparent epidermis derived from the p50 strain. It shows more susceptibility to Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection than the wild type; however, the underlying mechanism is unknown. This study analysed the changes in 34 metabolites in p50 and op50 at different times following BmNPV infection based on comparative metabolomics. The differential metabolites were mainly clustered in six metabolic pathways. Of these, the uric acid pathway was identified as critical for resistance in silkworms, as feeding with inosine significantly enhanced larval resistance compared to other metabolites and modulated other metabolic pathways. Additionally, the increased level of resistance to BmNPV in inosine-fed silkworms was associated with the regulation of apoptosis, which is mediated by the reactive oxygen species produced during uric acid synthesis. Furthermore, feeding the industrial strain Jingsong (JS) with inosine significantly increased the level of larval resistance to BmNPV, indicating its potential application in controlling the virus in sericulture. These results lay the foundation for clarifying the resistance mechanism of silkworms to BmNPV and provide new strategies and methods for the biological control of pests.

Regulatory effect of zinc finger protein A20 on rheumatoid arthritis through NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling axis mediating pyroptosis of HFLS- RA cells.

As a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes significant destruction to joints and cartilage. So far, from RA patients, the synovial cells and subsynovial tissues reflected the positive expression of IL-18, IL-1ß, Caspase-1 and NLRP3, with the synovial tissues of those patients also expressing the zinc finger protein A20 at a significantly lower level compared with osteoarthritis (OA) ones. Thus, the inhibition of the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway can effectively down-regulate the expression of IL-1ß, but when NLRP3 inflammasomes are activated, they can also shear GSDMD and induce pyroptosis. These suggest that the Gasdermin family of proteins, downstream of the NLRP3 inflammasome, could be involved in pyroptosis. Previous studies have shown that A20 contributes largely as an anti-inflammatory factor in many inflammatory diseases, but it remains unclear whether zinc finger protein A20, as an inhibitor of NLRP3 inflammasomes, can play a protective role against RA by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the effects of zinc finger protein A20 on NLRP3/ Caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (HFLS-RA) cells through cell experiments and clinical bidirectional verification, aim to understand the regulatory mechanism of A20 on RA. The results of clinical trials showed that NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18 were positively scattered in RA synovial cells and subsynovial tissue. The expression level of the zinc finger protein A20 in RA synovial tissues was significantly lower than that in OA synovial tissue and was negative, while zinc finger protein A20 was strongly positive in OA synovial tissue. In addition, HFLS-RA cells with siRNA-interfering zinc finger protein A20 were constructed at the cellular level, with the results also confirming that zinc finger protein A20 can play a protective role against RA by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis. In conclusion, this study is of great significance for understanding the role of the NLRP3-caspase-1-IL-1ß/ pyroptosis signaling pathway in the occurrence and development of RA. It is expected that the results will provide a theoretical basis for the immune regulation of innate immunity in the occurrence and development of RA, while providing a new therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of RA.

Transcriptomic analysis of the fat body of resistant and susceptible silkworm strains, Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera), after oral treatment with fenpropathrin.

The widespread use of pyrethroid pesticides has brought serious economic losses in sericulture, but there is still no viable solution. The key to solving the problem is to improve silkworm resistance to pesticides, which depends on understanding the resistance mechanism of silkworms to pesticides. This study aimed to use transcriptomes to understand the underlying mechanism of silkworm resistance to fenpropathrin, which will provide a theoretical molecular reference for breeding pesticide-resistant silkworm varieties. In this study, the fat bodies of two strains with differential resistance after 12 h of fenpropathrin feeding were analyzed using RNA-Seq. After feeding fenpropathrin, 760 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained in the p50(r) strain and 671 DEGs in the 8y strain. The DEGs involved in resistance to fenpropathrin were further identified by comparing the two strains, including 207 upregulated DEGs in p50(r) and 175 downregulated DEGs in 8y. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that these fenpropathrin-related DEGs are mainly enriched in the metabolism and transporter pathways. Moreover, 28 DEGs involved in the metabolic pathway and 18 in the transporter pathway were identified. Furthermore, organic cation transporter protein 6 (BmOCT6), a transporter pathway member, was crucial in enhancing the tolerance of BmN cells to fenpropathrin. Finally, the knockdown of the expression of the homologs of BmOCT6 in Glyphodes pyloalis (G. pyloalis) significantly decreased the resistant level of larvae to fenpropathrin. The findings showed that the metabolism and transporter pathways are associated with resistance to fenpropathrin in silkworm, and OCT6 is an effective and potential target not only for silkworm breeding but also for pest biocontrol.

Identification of optimal reference genes in Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera) for normalization of stress-responsive genes after challenge with pesticides.

Pesticides are frequently used to control pests in agriculture due to their ease of use and effectiveness, but their use causes serious economic losses to sericulture when their production overlaps with agriculture. However, no suitable internal reference genes (RGs) have been reported in the study of silkworms in response to pesticides. In this study, a standard curve was established to detect the expression levels of seven RGs in different tissues of different silkworm strains after feeding with pesticides using reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), including BmGAPDH, BmActin3, BmTBP, BmRPL3, Bm28sRNA, Bmα-tubulin, and BmUBC, and the stability of them was evaluated by using NormFinder, geNorm, Delta CT, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. The results showed that BmGAPDH and Bmα-tubulin were relatively stable in the midgut after feeding with fenvalerate, BmGAPDH and Bmactin3 were relatively stable in the fat body, and Bmα-tubulin and Bmactin3 were relatively stable in the hemolymph, indicating that Bmactin3 was the most suitable RG when evaluating fenvalerate, followed by BmGAPDH and Bmα-tubulin. Besides, BmGAPDH and Bmactin3 were relatively stable in the midgut after treatment with DDVP, BmGAPDH and Bmα-tubulin were relatively stable in the fat body, and BmGAPDH and Bmα-tubulin were relatively stable in the hemolymph, indicating that Bmα-tubulin was the most stable RG when evaluating DDVP, followed by BmGAPDH and Bmactin3. Of note, BmGAPDH was shared by the two pesticides. The results will be valuable for RG selection in studying the pesticide response mechanism of silkworms and other lepidopteran insects.

Bmcas-1 plays an important role in response against BmNPV infection in vitro.

Apoptosis, as one kind of innate immune system, is involved in host response against pathogens innovation. Caspases play a vital role in the execution stage of host cell apoptosis. It has been reported that Bmcaspase-1 (Bmcas-1) has a close relationship with Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection for its differentially expressed patterns after viral infection. However, its underlying response mechanism is still unclear. The significant differential expression of Bmcas-1 in different tissues of differentially resistant strains revealed its vital role in BmNPV infection. To further validate its role in BmNPV infection, budded virus (BV)-eGFP was analyzed after knockdown and overexpression of Bmcas-1 by small interfering RNA and the pIZT-mCherry vector, respectively. The reproduction of BV-eGFP obviously increased at 72 h after knockdown of Bmcas-1, and decreased after overexpression in BmN cells. Moreover, the conserved functional domain of Cas-1 among different species and the closed evolutionary relationship of Cas-1 in Lepidoptera hinted that Bmcas-1 might be associated with apoptosis, and this was also validated by the apoptosis inducer, Silvestrol, and the inhibitor, Z-DEVD-FMK. Therefore, Bmcas-1 plays an essential antiviral role by activating apoptosis, and this result lays a fundament for clarifying the molecular mechanism of silkworm in response against BmNPV infection and breeding of resistant strains.

The validation of the role of several genes related to Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus infection in vivo.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is one of primary silkworm pathogens and causes a serious damage of cocoon losses every year. Recent years, many works have been done to clarify the silkworm anti-BmNPV mechanism, and a significant progress has been made in screening and studying of genes and proteins related to BmNPV infection, but several of them lacked the proofs in vivo. In this study, to further validate the function of seven newly reported genes in vivo, including BmAtlatin-n, Bmferritin-heavy chain (BmFerHCH), Bmthymosin (BmTHY), Bmseroin1, Bmseroin2, Bmnuclear hormone receptors 96 (BmNHR96), and BmE3 ubiquitin-protein ligase SINA-like 10 (BmSINAL10), the response of them in the midgut, fat body, and hemolymph of differentially resistant strains (resistant strain YeA and susceptible strain YeB) at 48 h following BmNPV infection were analyzed. The results showed that the relative stable or upregulated expression level of BmAtlatin-n, BmTHY, Bmseroin1, and Bmseroin2 in YeA resistant strain following BmNPV infection further indicated their antiviral role in vivo, compared with susceptible YeB strain. Moreover, the significant downregulation of BmFerHCH, BmNHR96, and BmSINAL10 in both strains following BmNPV infection revealed their role in benefiting virus infection, as well as the upregulation of BmFerHCH in YeB midgut and BmSINAL10 in YeB hemolymph. These data could be used to complementary the proofs of the function of these genes in response to BmNPV infection.

Pharmacokinetics of N-ethylpentylone and its effect on increasing levels of dopamine and serotonin in the nucleus accumbens of conscious rats.

N-Ethylpentylone (NEP) is one of the most confiscated synthetic cathinones in the world. However, its pharmacology and pharmacokinetics remain largely unknown. In this study, the pharmacokentics of NEP in rat nucleus accumbens (NAc) was assessed via brain microdialysis after the intraperitoneal (ip) administration of NEP (20 or 50 mg/kg). The concentrations of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) and their metabolites, including 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), were simultaneously monitored to elucidate the pharmacological effect of NEP. In addition, the plasma levels of NEP were also assessed. The pharmacokinetics of NEP showed a dose-related pattern, with NEP rapidly passing through the blood-brain barrier and reaching a maximum concentration (Cmax ) at approximately 40-minutes postdose. Approximately 4% of plasma NEP was distributed to the NAc, and considering a homogeneous brain distribution, over 90% of plasma NEP was potentially distributed to the brain. High values of area under curve (AUC) and mean residence time (MRT) of NEP were observed in both the NAc and plasma, indicating large and long-lasting effects. NEP elicited dose-related increases in microdialysate DA and 5-HT and increased the concentration of 3-MT in a dose-related manner. However, the rate of DA converted into 3-MT was unaffected. NEP had a negative effect on the rates of which DA and 5-HT were transformed into DOPAC and 5-HIAA, respectively. In summary, NEP rapidly entered the NAc and showed a long-lasting effect. In addition, DA increased more significantly than 5-HT, indicating a large potential for NEP abuse.

Characterization of tissue-specific biomarkers with the expression of circRNAs in forensically relevant body fluids.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) markers have been extensively investigated for the identification of forensically relevant body fluids and tissues based on their expression profiles among cell types. As products of the backsplicing of pre-mRNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs) share exonic sequences with their linear counterparts. The inclusion of circRNAs in mRNA profiling is shown to facilitate the detection of biomarkers in the identification of body fluids. In this study, we identified the expression of circRNAs of 14 out of 45 biomarkers from five body fluid types using outward-facing primer sets and revealed the ratio of circular to total transcripts of biomarkers by RNase R treatment. Furthermore, our results of qPCR analysis show that the inclusion of circRNAs in the detection of biomarkers, including HBA and ALAS2 for blood; MMP7 and MMP10 for menstrual blood; HTN3 for saliva; SPINK5, SERPINB3, ESR1, and CYP2B7P1 for vaginal secretions; TGM4, KLK3, and PRM2 for semen; and SLC22A6 and MIOX for urine, does not impair the specificity of these biomarkers. Additionally, a high copy number of targets from linear transcripts could be employed to increase the detection sensitivity of TGM4 and KLK3 with a low expression level of circRNAs in urine samples. Altogether, these results will help with the development of robust multiplex assays for body fluid identification.

Simultaneous determination of N-ethylpentylone, dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and their metabolites in rat brain microdialysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

N-Ethylpentylone (NEP) is a popular synthetic cathinone abused worldwide. To obtain more information about its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, a rapid, simple and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of NEP, two important neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, and their metabolites, including 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3-methoxytyramine and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, in rat brain microdialysate. The analytes were separated on a Phnomenex Polar C18 column, with a mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid in water (A) and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile (B) under gradient elution to shorten the total chromatographic run time. A triple quadruple mass spectrometer coupled with an electrospray ionization source in both positive and negative ion mode was used to detect the analytes. This method showed excellent accuracy (87.4-113.5%) and precision (relative standard deviation <15%) at three quality control levels. The limits of detection were 0.2 ng/mL for NEP and 0.2-50 nm for the others and good linearity was obtained. This study pioneered a method to integrate exogenous drugs and endogenous neurotransmitters as the drugs act on the same determination system, which means that this innovation can provide support for further study of the addictive effects of NEP or other synthetic cathinones on extracellular levels of dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine.

Evaluation of the inclusion of circular RNAs in mRNA profiling in forensic body fluid identification.

The use of messenger RNA (mRNA) profiling is considered a promising method in the identification of forensically relevant body fluids which can provide crucial information for reconstructing a potential crime. However, casework samples are usually of limited quantity or have been subjected to degradation, which requires improvement of body fluid identification. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of products from the backsplicing of pre-mRNAs, are shown to have high abundance, remarkable stability, and cell type-specific expression in human cells. In this study, we investigated whether the inclusion of circRNAs in mRNA profiling improve the detection of biomarkers including δ-aminolevulinate synthase 2 (ALAS2) and matrix metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7) in body fluid identification. The major circRNAs of ALAS2 and MMP7 were first identified and primer sets for the simultaneous detection of linear and circular transcripts were developed. The inclusion of circRNAs in mRNA profiling showed improved detection sensitivity and stability of biomarkers revealed by using serial dilutions, mixed samples, and menstrual bloodstains as well as degraded and aged samples. Therefore, the inclusion of circRNAs in mRNA profiling should facilitate the detection of mRNA markers in forensic body fluid identification.

Axin1 up-regulated 1 accelerates stress-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis through activating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

Stress-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis contributes to the pathogenesis of a variety of cardiovascular diseases, but how stress induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis remains largely unclear. The present study aims to investigate the effects of Axin1 up-regulated 1 (Axud1), a novel pro-apoptotic protein, on the cardiomyocyte survival and the underlying mechanisms. To this end, a rat model under restraint stress (RS) was established and in vitro stress-induced cardiomyocytes culture was achieved. Our data showed that Axud1 was upregulated in the rat myocardia after exposure to RS. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was decreased, whereas pro-apoptotic Bax and Cleaved caspase-3 (Cc3) were increased in a time-dependent manner. The Wnt/ß-catenin signaling was observed to be interestingly activated in heart undergoing RS. In addition, the treatment of norepinephrine (NE) to in vitro cardiomyocytes increased Axud1 level and induced cell apoptosis. Wnt/ß-catenin signaling was consistently activated. Knockdown of Axud1 using specific siRNA blunted NE-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis and also inactivated the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. XAV-939, an inhibitor of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, partially reversed the pro-apoptotic effect of NE. In conclusion, Axud1 accelerated stress-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis through activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Our data provided novel evidence that therapeutic strategies against Axud1 or Wnt/ß-catenin signaling might be promising in relation to RS-induced myocardial injury.

RU486 Reverses Emotional Disorders by Influencing Astrocytes and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Chronic Restraint Stress Challenged Rats.

AIMS: To investigate the effect of RU486 (mifepristone) on emotional disorders in chronic restraint stress-induced rats and to explore the mechanisms of that phenomenon. METHODS: For this purpose, 80 healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: the normal group (Con group, The Con group members received no treatment, eating and drinking freely), the chronic restraint stress group (CRS group, normal Sprague Dawley rats treated with chronic restraint stress, 6 h/day for 21days), the propylene glycol group (CRS+propylene glycol) and the RU486 group (CRS+RU486). RU486 or propylene glycol was administered 30 mins before each CRS procedure. Twenty-four hours after CRS exposure, we investigated the effects of CRS on the anxiety-like behavior using an elevated plus-maze (EPM). To explore the mechanisms of RU486 on anxiety, we measured the expression of glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and ß-subunit of S100 (S100ß) via immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Apoptosis was demonstrated by flow cytometry. In addition, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers, glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and Cysteine aspartic acid specific protease-12 (Caspase-12), were detected by western blot analysis. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, rats in the CRS and propylene glycol group showed decreased exploratory behavior on the open arms during EPM testing, and these reductions were accompanied by significantly reduced GFAP and S100ß expression, increased apoptosis and GRP78, CHOP, and caspase-12 expression in the amygdala. However, RU486 increases the exploratory behavior and reverses the changes of GFAP, S100ß, GRP78, CHOP, and caspase-12 and protects cells against apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these data suggest that exposure to chronic restraint stress decreases the number of astrocytes and induces apoptosis and ER stress in the amygdala, which are possible causes for psychiatric disorders. RU486 can significantly ameliorate abnormal behaviors in CRS-induced anxiety model rats. The protective effects of RU486 could be attributed to its anti-ER stress, anti-apoptosis and astrocyte increasing effects.

Phosphorylated Myosin Light Chain 2 (p-MLC2) as a Molecular Marker of Antemortem Coronary Artery Spasm.

BACKGROUND It is not uncommon that only mild coronary artery stenosis is grossly revealed after a system autopsy. While coronary artery spasm (CAS) is the suspected mechanism of these deaths, no specific biomarker has been identified to suggest antemortem CAS. MATERIAL AND METHODS To evaluate the potential of using phosphorylated myosin light chain 2 (p-MLC2) as a diagnostic marker of antemortem CAS, human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were cultured and treated with common vasoconstrictors, including prostaglandins F2α (PGF2α), acetylcholine (ACh), and 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT). The p-MLC2 level was examined in the cultured cells using Western blot analysis and in a rat model of spasm provocation tests using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Effects of increased p-MLC2 level on VSMCs contractile activities were assessed in vitro using confocal immunofluorescence assay. Four fatal cases with known antemortem CAS were collected and subject to p-MLC2 detection. RESULTS The p-MLC2 was significantly increased in VSMCs after treatments with vasoconstrictors and in the spasm provocation tests. Myofilament was well-organized and densely stained in VSMCs with high p-MLC2 level, but disarrayed in VSMCs with low p-MLC2 level. Three of the 4 autopsied cases showed strongly positive staining of p-MLC2 at the stenosed coronary segment and the adjacent interstitial small arteries. The fourth case was autopsied at the 6th day after death and showed negative-to-mild positive staining of p-MLC2. CONCLUSIONS p-MLC2 might be a useful marker for diagnosis of antemortem CAS. Autopsy should be performed as soon as possible to collect coronary arteries for detection of p-MLC2.

MicroRNA-19b Downregulates Gap Junction Protein Alpha1 and Synergizes with MicroRNA-1 in Viral Myocarditis.

Viral myocarditis (VMC) is a life-threatening disease that leads to heart failure or cardiac arrhythmia. A large number of researches have revealed that mircroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in the pathological processes of VMC. We previously reported that miR-1 repressed the expression of gap junction protein α1 (GJA1) in VMC. In this study, miR-19b was found to be significantly upregulated using the microarray analysis in a mouse model of VMC, and overexpression of miR-19b led to irregular beating pattern in human cardiomyocytes derived from the induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs-CMs). The upregulation of miR-19b was associated with decreased GJA1 in vivo. Furthermore, a miR-19b inhibitor increased, while its mimics suppressed the expression of GJA1 in HL-1 cells. When GJA1 was overexpressed, the miR-19b mimics-mediated irregular beating was reversed in hiPSCs-CMs. In addition, the effect of miR-19b on GJA1 was enhanced by miR-1 in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest miR-19b contributes to irregular beating through regulation of GJA1 by cooperating with miR-1. Based on the present and our previous studies, it could be indicated that miR-19b and miR-1 might be critically involved in cardiac arrhythmia associated with VMC.

[Research Progress of circRNA and Its Significance in Forensic Science].

RNA has received more attention in the field of forensic medicine and the development of the new biological markers based on RNA shows great significance in the analysis of complex cases. circular RNA (circRNA) is a kind of non-coding RNA which is widely reported recently. Although the regulatory mechanisms of generation and expression are not fully clear, the existing research indicates that circRNA has important biological functions. CircRNA has a cell-type-specific expression with great stability and a high expression level, which makes it meaningful in forensic applications potentially. In this paper, the research progress, the generation and regulation of circRNA as well as its biological characteristics and functions are summarized, which will provide references for related studies and forensic applications.

Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 regulates fetal hematopoiesis and thymocyte development.

Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) is a protein arginine methyltransferase that methylates histones and transcriptional regulators. We previously reported that the absence of CARM1 partially blocks thymocyte differentiation at embryonic day 18.5 (E18.5). In this study, we find that reduced thymopoiesis in Carm1(-/-) mice is due to a defect in the fetal hematopoietic compartment rather than in the thymic stroma. To determine the cellular basis for impaired thymopoiesis, we examined the number and function of fetal liver (FL) and bone marrow cells. Despite markedly reduced cellularity of hematopoietic progenitors in E18.5 bone marrow, the number of long-term hematopoietic stem cells and downstream subsets was not reduced in Carm1(-/-) E14.5 or E18.5 FL. Nevertheless, competitive reconstitution assays revealed a deficit in the ability of Carm1(-/-) FL cells to contribute to hematopoiesis. Furthermore, impaired differentiation of Carm1(-/-) FL cells in a CARM1-sufficient host showed that CARM1 is required cell autonomously in hematopoietic cells. Coculture of Carm1(-/-) FL cells on OP9-DL1 monolayers showed that CARM1 is required for survival of hematopoietic progenitors under conditions that promote differentiation. Taken together, this report demonstrates that CARM1 is a key epigenetic regulator of hematopoiesis that affects multiple lineages at various stages of differentiation.

[Progress in Association between Genetic Correlation and Human Violent Behavior].

Human violent behavior is a complex behavior which is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. There is a trend in investigating the mechanism of violent behavior by using the genetic methods. This article reviews several candidate genes and advances in epigenetics which are associated with violent behavior. The prospects and significance of violent behavior research from the view of gene polymorphism and epigenetics are also discussed.

[Analysis of 59 Anaphylactic Death Cases].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cases of anaphylactic death cases and explore the standards of judicial expertise of anaphylactic death for providing evidence for judicial expertise. METHODS: Fifty-nine cases death due to allergic reaction in Shanghai were collected. And details of medical history, clinical manifestation of anaphylactic reaction and postmortem examination findings were reviewed for all cases. RESULTS: In the 59 cases, there were 58 cases died from drug allergy, including 77.6% of them were antibiotics. The rates of treating in standard hospital and illegal clinic were 37.3% and 61.0%, respectively. The allergic symptoms were dyspnea and facial cyanosis. The time from contacting allergens to death ranged from 1 min to 3 d. The concentration of total serum IgE ranged from 50 to 576.92 IU/mL. The results of clinical manifestation and pathological anatomy had obviously changes. CONCLUSION: Based on the exclusion of all other cause of death and synthetically analysis of details of cases, medical history, clinical manifestation and anatomy, the conclusion of anaphylactic death can reached. The details of cases including clinical history, exposure to allergens, and clinical manifestation play an important role in diagnosis of anaphylactic death.

JMJD2A contributes to breast cancer progression through transcriptional repression of the tumor suppressor ARHI.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is a worldwide health problem and the leading cause of cancer death among females. We previously identified Jumonji domain containing 2A (JMJD2A) as a critical mediator of breast cancer proliferation, migration and invasion. We now report that JMJD2A could promote breast cancer progression through transcriptional repression of the tumor suppressor aplasia Ras homolog member I (ARHI). METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine protein expressions in 155 cases of breast cancer and 30 non-neoplastic tissues. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between JMJD2A expression and clinical parameters as well as several tumor regulators in 155 cases of breast cancer. Gene and protein expressions were monitored by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot. Results from knockdown of JMJD2A, overexpression of JMJD2A, Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay, dual luciferase reporter gene assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) elucidated molecular mechanisms of JMJD2A action in breast cancer progression. Furthermore, the effects of ARHI overexpression on JMJD2A-mediated tumor progression were investigated in vitro and in vivo. For in vitro experiments, cell proliferation, wound-healing, migration and invasion were monitored by cell counting, scratch and Boyden Chamber assays. For in vivo experiments, control cells and cells stably expressing JMJD2A alone or together with ARHI were inoculated into mammary fat pads of mice. Tumor volume, tumor weight and metastatic nodules were measured by caliper, electronic balance and nodule counting, respectively. RESULTS: JMJD2A was highly expressed in human breast cancers and positively correlated with tumor progression. Knockdown of JMJD2A increased ARHI expression whereas overexpression of JMJD2A decreased ARHI expression at both protein and mRNA levels. Furthermore, E2Fs and histone deacetylases were involved in the transcriptional repression of ARHI expression by JMJD2A. And the aggressive behavior of JMJD2A in breast cancers could be reversed by re-expression of ARHI in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated a cancer-promoting effect of JMJD2A and defined a novel molecular pathway contributing to JMJD2A-mediated breast cancer progression.