Molecular characterization of Japanese encephalitis viruses circulating in pigs and mosquitoes on pig farms in the Chinese province of Henan.

Since the first Chinese case report of Japanese encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has circulated in China for at least 60 years. Even though pigs play a critical role in the JEV transmission cycle information on the prevalence of JEV in pigs has not been investigated in China. As the central Chinese province of Henan has the largest human population in China, a history of serious JEV and is the largest pig producing province it was chosen for this study. We have found that currently natural infection with JEV in pigs and mosquitoes is prevalent and both genotypes 1 and 3 co-circulate in pigs and mosquitoes in central China. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all of the newly obtained pig-derived JEV isolates are more closely related to isolates from the 1950s to 1960s than to those recently isolated from humans and mosquitoes. Further analyses based on all the previous reported Chinese isolates indicates that presently genotype 3 JEV is the predominant genotype in pigs but genotype 1 JEV is emerging and spreading rapidly in recent years. Our study provides information for understanding the current epidemiology of JEV in China and suggests possible measures applicable to the further control of JEV.

Mitochondria-Targeted Degradable Nanocomposite Combined with Laser and Ultrasound for Synergistic Tumor Therapies.

Although the development of safe and efficient cancer therapeutic agents is essential, this process remains challenging. In this study, a mitochondria-targeted degradable nanoplatform (PDA-MnO2-IR780) for synergistic photothermal, photodynamic, and sonodynamic tumor treatment was investigated. PDA-MnO2-IR780 exhibits superior photothermal properties owing to the integration of polydopamine, MnO2, and IR780. IR780, a photosensitizer and sonosensitizer, was used for photodynamic therapy and sonodynamic therapy. When PDA-MnO2-IR780 was delivered to the tumor site, MnO2 was decomposed by hydrogen peroxide, producing Mn2+ and oxygen. Meanwhile, alleviating tumor hypoxia promoted the production of reactive oxygen species during photodynamic therapy and sonodynamic therapy. Moreover, large amounts of reactive oxygen species could reduce the expression of heat shock proteins and increase the heat sensitivity of tumor cells, thereby improving the photothermal treatment effect. In turn, hyperthermia caused by photothermal therapy accelerated the production of reactive oxygen species in photodynamic therapy. IR780 selectively accumulation in mitochondria also promoted tumor apoptosis. In this system, the mutual promotion of photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy/sonodynamic therapy had an enhanced therapeutic effect. Moreover, the responsive degradable characteristic of PDA-MnO2-IR780 in the tumor microenvironment ensured excellent biological safety. These results reveal a great potential of PDA-MnO2-IR780 for safe and highly-efficiency synergistic therapy for cancer.

Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a Modulates NMDA Receptor Function Through Targeting NR1/NR2A/NR2B Triheteromeric Receptors.

The over-activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) is the main cause of neuronal death in brain ischemia. Both the NMDAR and the Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) are present in the postsynaptic membrane of the central nervous system (CNS) and participate in physiological and pathological processes. However, the specific role played by ASIC1a in these processes remains elusive. We hypothesize that NMDARs are the primary mediators of normal synaptic transmission and excitatory neuronal death, while ASIC1a plays a modulatory role in facilitating NMDAR function. Using various experimental approaches including patch-clamp recordings on hippocampal slices and CHO cells, primary cultures of hippocampal neurons, calcium imaging, Western blot, cDNA transfection studies, and transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mouse models, we demonstrate that stimulation of ASIC1a facilitates NMDAR function and inhibition of ASIC1a suppresses NMDAR over-activation. One of our key findings is that activation of ASIC1a selectively facilitates the NR1/NR2A/NR2B triheteromeric subtype of NMDAR currents. In accordance, inhibition of ASIC1a profoundly reduced the NMDAR-mediated EPSCs in older mouse brains, which are known to express much higher levels of triheteromeric NMDARs than younger brains. Furthermore, brain infarct sizes were reduced by a greater degree in older mice compared to younger ones when ASIC1a activity was suppressed. These data suggest that ASIC1a activity selectively enhances the function of triheteromeric NMDARs and exacerbates ischemic neuronal death especially in older animal brains. We propose ASIC1a as a novel therapeutic target for preventing and reducing the detrimental effect of brain ischemia in humans.

NMDAR-Mediated Hippocampal Neuronal Death is Exacerbated by Activities of ASIC1a.

NMDARs and ASIC1a both exist in central synapses and mediate important physiological and pathological conditions, but the functional relationship between them is unclear. Here we report several novel findings that may shed light on the functional relationship between these two ion channels in the excitatory postsynaptic membrane of mouse hippocampus. Firstly, NMDAR activation induced by either NMDA or OGD led to increased [Ca(2+)](i)and greater apoptotic and necrotic cell deaths in cultured hippocampal neurons; these cell deaths were prevented by application of NMDAR antagonists. Secondly, ASIC1a activation induced by pH 6.0 extracellular solution (ECS) showed similar increases in apoptotic and necrotic cell deaths; these cell deaths were prevented by ASIC1a antagonists, and also by NMDAR antagonists. Since increased [Ca(2+)](i)leads to increased cell deaths and since NMDAR exhibits much greater calcium permeability than ASIC1a, these data suggest that ASIC1a-induced neuronal death is mediated through activation of NMDARs. Thirdly, treatment of hippocampal cultures with both NMDA and acidic ECS induced greater degrees of cell deaths than either NMDA or acidic ECS treatment alone. These results suggest that ASIC1a activation up-regulates NMDAR function. Additional data supporting the functional relationship between ASIC1a and NMDAR are found in our electrophysiology experiments in hippocampal slices, where stimulation of ASIC1a induced a marked increase in NMDAR EPSC amplitude, and inhibition of ASIC1a resulted in a decrease in NMDAR EPSC amplitude. In summary, we present evidence that ASIC1a activity facilitates NMDAR function and exacerbates NMDAR-mediated neuronal death in pathological conditions. These findings are invaluable to the search for novel therapeutic targets in the treatment of brain ischemia.

Development and clinical evaluation of medical robot assisted photodynamic therapy of port wine stains.

BACKGROUND: Port wine stains (PWS) are a kind of skin disease for which photodynamic therapy (PDT) has already achieved good results. With manual operation of clinical PDT, the laser density is uneven and laser irradiation of the lesion is arbitrary and non-uniform. In addition, lengthy manual operation tires doctors; thus a robot system has been developed to assist them. METHODS: First, a novel medical manipulator consisting of five passive joints (robot arm) and two active joints (robot wrist) was developed to automatically improve the uniformity of laser irradiation. Second, image processing of the lesion was introduced. Third, kinematics and path planning of the robot were analysed, and safety precautions were introduced. Then, accuracy tests of the robot wrist and robot system were conducted separately before clinical application. Finally, a total of 50 PWS cases were treated using the robot system. The clinical outcomes and comparison of non-parametric values were employed to evaluate the robot system. RESULTS: The accuracies of the robot wrist and robot system were shown to meet the requirements of clinical PDT treatment. The robot system performed successfully in 50 PWS cases. Doctors can devote more energy to clinical judgments during treatment with the assistance of the robot system. All the PWS have shown different degrees of improvement. The results show that the robot system is useful in assisting doctors for the PDT treatment of PWS. CONCLUSIONS: The experiments show the feasibility and usefulness of the robot system in assisting doctors giving PDT treatment for PWS. The robot system can lighten the load on doctors and improve the therapeutic effect.