Unlocking hypoglycemia–associated brain microvascular dysfunction:critical insights from proteomic analysis

Hypoglycemia-a critical complication linked to worsened brain function in diabetic subjects:Hypoglycemia is characterized by a decline in circulatory glucose levels below sta nda rd physiological thresholds.Mild hypoglycemia,classified as level 1 hypoglycemia,is defined by blood glucose levels below 70 mg/dL and can be effectively addressed through carbohydrate intake.Severe hypoglycemia,denoted by blood glucose levels less than 54 mg/dL,poses a life-threatening risk if left untreated.Individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes undergoing insulin treatment are particularly susceptible to hypoglycemia due to impaired counterregulatory mechanisms.

Vascular Metabolic Mechanisms of Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension(PH)is a severe and progressive disease characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance leading to right heart failure and death.In PH,the cellular metabolisms including those of the three major nutrients(carbohydrate,lipid and protein)are aberrant in pulmonary vascular cells.Glucose uptake,glycolysis,insulin resistance,sphingolipid S1P,PGE2,TXA2,leukotrienes and glutaminolysis are upregulated,and phospholipid-prostacyclin and L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway are compromised in lung vascular cells.Fatty acid metabolism is disordered in lung endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells.These molecular mechanisms are integrated to promote PH-specific abnormal vascular cell proliferation and vascular remodeling.This review summarizes the recent advances in the metabolic reprogramming of glucose,fatty acid,and amino acid metabolism in pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH and the mechanisms for how these alterations affect vascular cell fate and impact the course of PH.

Immunoexpression and prognostic role of p53 in different subtypes of epithelial ovarian carcinoma

We sought to investigate the significance of p53 expression for epithelial ovarian carcinoma.In this study,we used immunohistochemical method to investigate the expression patterns of p53 in different subtypes of epithelial ovarian carcinoma.We found that the expressions of p53 protein in epithelial ovarian cancer（pituita,serosity and intima） were 88.9%,75% and 100%,respectively,while the recurrence rates among three cancer subtypes were significantly different（33.3%,12.5% and 0%,respectively;P 〈 0.05）.Compared with patients without lymph node metastasis,the expression of p53 in patients with lymph node metastasis was significantly strong（68.75% and 100%,respectively;P 〈 0.05）.However,the recurrence rate in the patients with lymph node metastasis（40%） was higher than that without lymph node metastasis（6.25%,P 〈 0.05）.The expressions of p53 protein in ovarian cancer betweenⅠ-Ⅱ（25%） stage and Ⅱ-Ⅳ stage（100%） were significantly different（P 〈 0.05）,and the recurrence rates between the two groups were significantly different（0% and 31.25%,respectively,P 〈 0.05）.Therefore,p53 protein has an intimate relationship with the malignant degree and the prognosis of ovarian cancer.

Leukocyte-Specific Morrbid Promotes Leukocyte Differentiation and Atherogenesis

Monocyte-to-M0/M1 macrophage differentiation with unclear molecular mechanisms is a pivotal cellular event in many cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis.Long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)are a group of protein expression regulators;however,the roles of monocyte-lncRNAs in macrophage differentiation and its related vascular diseases are still unclear.The study aims to investigate whether the novel leukocyte-specific lncRNA Morrbid could regulate macrophage differentiation and atherogenesis.We identified that Morrbid was increased in monocytes and arterial walls from atherosclerotic mouse and from patients with atherosclerosis.In cultured monocytes,Morrbid expression was markedly increased during monocyte to M0 macrophage differentiation with an additional increase during M0 macrophage-to-M1 macrophage differentiation.The differentiation stimuli-induced monocyte-macrophage differentiation and the macrophage activity were inhibited by Morrbid knockdown.Moreover,overexpression of Morrbid alone was sufficient to elicit the monocyte-macrophage differentiation.The role of Morrbid in monocyte-macrophage differentiation was also identified in vivo in atherosclerotic mice and was verified in Morrbid knockout mice.We identified that PI3-kinase/Akt was involved in the up-regulation of Morrbid expression,whereas s100a10 was involved in Morrbid-mediated effect on macrophage differentiation.To provide a proof of concept of Morrbid in pathogenesis of monocyte/macrophage-related vascular disease,we applied an acute atherosclerosis model in mice.The results revealed that overexpression of Morrbid enhanced but monocyte/macrophage-specific Morrbid knockout inhibited the monocytes/macrophages recruitment and atherosclerotic lesion formation in mice.The results suggest that Morrbid is a novel biomarker and a modulator of monocyte-macrophage phenotypes,which is involved in atherogenesis.

Mechanisms of pulmonary endothelial barrier dysfunction in acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome

Endothelial cells(ECs)form a semi-permeable barrier between the interior space of blood vessels and the un-derlying tissues.Pulmonary endothelial barrier integrity is maintained through coordinated cellular processes involving receptors,signaling molecules,junctional complexes,and protein-regulated cytoskeletal reorganiza-tion.In acute lung injury(ALI)or its more severe form acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS),the loss of endothelial barrier integrity secondary to endothelial dysfunction caused by severe pulmonary inflamma-tion and/or infection leads to pulmonary edema and hypoxemia.Pro-inflammatory agonists such as histamine,thrombin,bradykinin,interleukin 1𝛽,tumor necrosis factor𝛼,vascular endothelial growth factor,angiopoietin-2,and platelet-activating factor,as well as bacterial toxins and reactive oxygen species,cause dynamic changes in cytoskeletal structure,adherens junction disorganization,and detachment of vascular endothelial cadherin(VE-cadherin)from the actin cytoskeleton,leading to an increase in endothelial permeability.Endothelial interactions with leukocytes,platelets,and coagulation enhance the inflammatory response.Moreover,inflammatory infil-tration and the associated generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines during infection cause EC death,resulting in further compromise of the structural integrity of lung endothelial barrier.Despite the use of potent antibiotics and aggressive intensive care support,the mortality of ALI is still high,because the mechanisms of pulmonary EC barrier disruption are not fully understood.In this review,we summarized recent advances in the studies of endothelial cytoskeletal reorganization,inter-endothelial junctions,endothelial inflammation,EC death,and endothelial repair in ALI and ARDS,intending to shed some light on the potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in the clinical management of the disease.

Allelic frequency distributions of 21 non-combined DNA index system STR loci in a Russian ethnic minority group from Inner Mongolia,China

We studied the allelic frequency distributions and statistical forensic parameters of 21 new short tandem repeat(STR)loci and the amelogenin locus,which are not included in the combined DNA index system(CODIS),in a Russian ethnic minority group from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China.A total of 114 bloodstain samples from unrelated individuals were extracted and co-amplified with four fluorescence-labeled primers in a multiplex polymerase chain reaction(PCR)system.Using capillary electrophoresis,the PCR products of the 21 STR loci were separated and genotyped.A total of 161 alleles were observed in the Russian ethnic minority group,and corresponding allelic frequencies ranged from 0.0044 to 0.5965.The 21 non-CODIS STR loci of the Russian ethnic minority group were characterized by high genetic diversity and therefore may be useful for elucidating the population's genetic background,for individual identification,and for paternity testing in forensic practice.

SENP3 regulates the global protein turnover and the Spl level via antagonizing SUM02/ 3-targeted ubiquitination and degradation

SUMOylation is recently found to function as a targeting signal for the degradation of substrates through the ubiquitin-proteasome system. RNF4 is the most studied human SUMO-targeted ubiquitin E3 ligase. However, the relationship between SUMO proteases, SENPs, and RNF4 remains obscure. There are limited examples of the SENP regulation of SUMO2/3-targeted proteolysis mediated by RNF4. The present study investigated the role of SENP3 in the global protein turnover related to SUMO2/3-targeted ubiquitination and focused in particular on the SENP3 regulation of the stability of Spl. Our data demonstrated that SENP3 impaired the global ubiquitination profile and promoted the accumulation of many proteins. Spl, a cancer-associated transcription factor, was among these proteins. SENP3 increased the level of Spl protein via antagonizing the SUMO2/3-targeted ubiquitination and the consequent proteasome-dependent degradation that was mediated by RNF4. De-conjugation of SUMO2/3 by SENP3 attenuated the interaction of Spl with RNF4. In gastric cancer cell lines and specimens derived from patients and nude mice, the level of Spl was generally increased in parallel to the level of SENP3. These results provided a new explanation for the enrichment of the Spl protein in various cancers, and revealed a regulation of SUMO2/3 conjugated proteins whose levels may be tightly con- trolled by SENP3 and RNF4.

Distributions of HLA-A and-B alleles and haplotypes in the Yi ethnic minority of Yunnan, China: relationship to other populations

Objective: To investigate the distributions of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A and-B alleles and HLA-A-B haplotypes in the Yi ethnic minority of the Yunnan Province, situated in southwestern China. Methods: DNA typing for HLA-A and-B loci was performed using the polymerase chain reaction-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) method on 114 randomly selected healthy individuals of the Yi population. The allelic frequencies of HLA-A and-B loci were calculated by direct counting and HLA-A-B haplotypes were estimated using the expectation maximization algorithm. Results: A total of 17 HLA-A and 38 HLA-B alleles were found in the Yi population. The most frequent alleles were A2402 (32.46%), A1101 (26.32%), and A0203 (10.09%) at the HLA-A locus and B4601 (12.28%), B1525 (10.09%), B4001 (8.77%), and B3802 (7.89%) at the HLA-B locus. The predominant HLA-A-B haplotypes were A2402-B1525 (7.86%) and A0203-B3802 (5.64%), followed by A1101-B4001 (4.69%). Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the Yi population in the Honghe, Yunnan Province of China basically belongs to groups of southeastern Asian origin, but shares some characteristics with northeastern Asian groups. Conclusion: The present study may add to the understanding of HLA polymorphism in the Yi ethnic group that was poorly defined previously, and provide useful information for bone marrow transplantation, anthropological research, and forensic sciences as well as for disease-association studies.

Tetrahydropalmatine protects against methamphetamine-induced spatial learning and memory impairment in mice

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of methamphetamine （MA） on spatial learning and memory and the role of tetrahydropalmatine （THP） in MA-induced changes in these phenomena in mice. Methods Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into eight groups, according to different doses of MA, different doses of THP, treatment with both MA and THP, and saline controls. Spatial learning and memory were assessed using the Morris water maze. Western blot was used to detect the expression of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase （ERK） in the mouse prefrontal cortex （PFC） and hippocampus. Results Repeated MA treatment significantly increased the escape latency in the learning phase and decreased the number of platform site crossings in the memory-test phase. ERK1/2 expression was decreased in the PFC but not in the hippocampus of the MA-treated mice. Repeated THP treatment alone did not affect the escape latency, the number of platform site crossings or the total ERK1/2 expression in the brain. Statistically significantly shorter escape latencies and more platform site crossings occurred in MA＋THP-treated mice than in MA-treated mice. Conclusion Repeated MA administration impairs spatial learning and memory in mice, and its co-administration with THP prevents this impairment, which is probably attributable to changed ERK1/2 expression in the PFC. This study contributes to uncovering the mechanism underlying MA abuse, and to exploring potential therapies.