Effect of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang on deficiency of N-glycan/nitric oxide and islet damage induced by streptozotocin in diabetic rats

AIM: To investigate the effect of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang (Decoction for Reinforcing Middle Jiao and Replenishing Qi) on deficiency of N-glycan/nitric oxide (NO) and islet damage induced by injecting two medium doses of streptozotocin (STZ). METHODS: Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ at 55 mg/kg on day 1 and day 8. Islet damage was evaluated using a scoring system. Nitrite, nitrate, α-mannosidase and amylase activities were measured by colorimetry. N-glycan patterns of amylase were determined with lectin [ConA, pisum sativum agglutinin (PSA), peanut agglutinin (PNA), and lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA)] affinity precipitation method. RESULTS: Severe islet necrosis and mild islet atrophy were observed in diabetic rats. The number and size ofislets, the activities of α-mannosidase, amylase and nitrite were decreased, while the binding of PNA and LCA to amylase was increased. All of which were improved after treatment with Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang. Islet damage was significantly correlated with nitrite, nitrate, α-mannosidase, amylase and the binding of LCA, PNA, and PSA to amylase.CONCLUSION: STZ-induced islet damage is related to N-glycan deficiency in proteins by blocking α-mannosidase activity and no deficiency, accumulation of unfolded proteins, and endoplasmic reticulum stress and activation of cellular signals, all of which are improved after treatment with Bu-Zhong-YiQi-Tang.

Rare massive hepatic hemangioblastoma:A case report

BACKGROUND Hepatic hemangioblastoma is an extremely rare disease;only three cases have been reported in the literature,and its magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)findings are unreported.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of incidental hepatic hemangioblastoma.The patient had no history of von Hippel-Lindau disease or associated clinical signs.Computed tomography and MRI showed a large tumor occupying almost half of the right side of the liver with expansive growth,well-defined borders,heterogeneous mildly progressive enhancement,and visibly enlarged blood supply vessels.Flow voids were observed on T2-weighted imaging.Both diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)and apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)map findings of the mass were predominantly inhomogeneous.Postoperative pathology indicated a diagnosis of hemangioblastoma.CONCLUSION Enlarged peripheral blood-supplying vessels and progressive enhancement seem to be typical imaging features of hepatic hemangioblastoma.However,a solid significantly enhanced mass with a low signal on DWI and a high signal on ADC may also be helpful for the diagnosis of hepatic hemangioblastoma.

Genetic source tracking of an anthrax outbreak in Shaanxi province,China

Background:Anthrax is an acute zoonotic infectious disease caused by the bacterium known as Bacillus anthracis.From 26 July to 8 August 2015,an outbreak with 20 suspected cutaneous anthrax cases was reported in Ganquan County,Shaanxi province in China.The genetic source tracking analysis of the anthrax outbreak was performed by molecular epidemiological methods in this study.Methods:Three molecular typing methods,namely canonical single nucleotide polymorphisms(canSNP),multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis(MLVA),and single nucleotide repeat(SNR)analysis,were used to investigate the possible source of transmission and identify the genetic relationship among the strains isolated from human cases and diseased animals during the outbreak.Results:Five strains isolated from diseased mules were clustered together with patients’isolates using canSNP typing and MLVA.The causative B.anthracis lineages in this outbreak belonged to the A.Br.001/002 canSNP subgroup and the MLVA15-31 genotype(the 31 genotype in MLVA15 scheme).Because nine isolates from another four provinces in China were clustered together with outbreak-related strains by the canSNP(A.Br.001/002 subgroup)and MLVA15 method(MLVA15-31 genotype),still another SNR analysis(CL10,CL12,CL33,and CL35)was used to source track the outbreak,and the results suggesting that these patients in the anthrax outbreak were probably infected by the same pathogen clone.Conclusions:It was deduced that the anthrax outbreak occurred in Shaanxi province,China in 2015 was a local occurrence.

Epigenetics recording varied environment and complex cell events represents the origin of cellular aging

Although a relationship between epigenetics and aging phenotypic changes has been established,a theoretical explanation of the intrinsic connection between the epigenetics and aging is lacking.In this essay,we propose that epigenetic recording of varied cell environment and complex history could be an origin of cellular aging.Through epigenetic modifications,the environment and historical events can induce the chromatin template into an activated or repressive accessible structure,thereby shaping the DNA template into a spectrum of chromatin states.The inner nature of diversity and conflicts born by the cell environment and its historical events are hence recorded into the chromatin template.This could result in a dissipated spectrum of the chromatin state and chaos in overall gene expression.An unavoidable degradation of epigenome entropy,similar to Shannon entropy,would be consequently induced.The resultant disorder in epigenome,characterized by corrosion of epigenome entropy as reflected in chromatin template,can be stably memorized and propagated through cell division.Furthermore,the hysteretic nature of epigenetics responding to the emerging environment could exacerbate the degradation of epigenome entropy.As well as stochastic errors,we propose that outside entropy(or chaos) derived from the varied environment and complex cell history,gradually input and imprinted into the chromatin via epigenetic modifications,would lead inevitably to cellular aging,the extent of which could be aggravated by hysteresis of epigenetics without error erasing and correction.