Knockout of C6orf120 in Rats Alleviates Concanavalin A-induced Autoimmune Hepatitis by Regulating Macrophage Polarization

Objective The effect of the functionally unknown gene C6orf120 on autoimmune hepatitis was investigated on C6orf120 knockout rats(C6orf120^(-/-))and THP-1 cells.Method Six–eight-week-old C6orf120^(-/-)and wild-type(WT)SD rats were injected with Con A(16 mg/kg),and euthanized after 24 h.The sera,livers,and spleens were collected.THP-1 cells and the recombinant protein(rC6ORF120)were used to explore the mechanism in vitro.The frequency of M1 and M2 macrophages was analyzed using flow cytometry.Western blotting and PCR were used to detect macrophage polarization-associated factors.Results C6orf120 knockout attenuated Con A-induced autoimmune hepatitis.Flow cytometry indicated that the proportion of CD68^(+)CD86^(+)M1 macrophages from the liver and spleen in the C6orf120^(-/-)rats decreased.C6orf120 knockout induced downregulation of CD86 protein and the mRNA levels of related inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in the liver.C6orf120 knockout did not affect the polarization of THP-1 cells.However,rC6ORF120 promoted the THP-1 cells toward CD68^(+)CD80^(+)M1 macrophages and inhibited the CD68^(+)CD206^(+)M2 phenotype.Conclusion C6orf120 knockout alleviates Con A-induced autoimmune hepatitis by inhibiting macrophage polarization toward M1 macrophages and reducing the expression of related inflammatory factors in C6orf120^(-/-)rats.

Effect of hepatocyte growth factor signaling pathway activation on Plasmodium berghei infection

Objective:To explore the effect of hepatocyte growth factor signaling pathway activation on Plasmodium berghei infection.Methods:In this study,hepatocyte growth factor was detected by ELISA and Western blotting assay.Hepatocyte injury was detected by FITC-dextran absorption assay,and hepatocyte growth factor expression was shown to be expressed in the same injury cells by immunofluorescence against hepatocyte growth factor.In addition,Activation of hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor signaling pathway was detected with immunoprecipitation and detection of phosphorylation status.Results:It was found that injury of hepatocytes by sporozoite migration induced the secretion of hepatocyte growth factor and it was hepatocyte growth factor that rendered hepatocytes susceptible to Plasmodium sporozoite infection.In addition,hepatocyte infections depended on activation of the hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor signaling pathway.Conclusions:Our results indicate that hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor may possibly be potential targets for new approaches to malaria treatment.

Burrow Characteristics and Microhabitat Use of the Turpan Wonder Gecko Teratoscincus roborowskii (Squamata, Gekkonidae)

Burrow structural charactersitcs and microhabitat use of the Turpan wonder gecko Teratoscincus roborowskii （Gekkonidae） were studied between April and September of 2013 in the Turpan Eremophytes Botanic Garden, in the Turpan Depression of Western China. Burrow depth, entrance orientation, entrance height and width were observed. We assessed microhabitat selection and noted differences in microhabitat use among males, females, and juveniles. The magnitude of selection was measured using Jacobs＇ index of selectivity. Entrance height and width of the burrows of adults were significantly larger than those of juveniles, but the difference in burrow depth was not significant. The directional orientation of the burrow entrance showed a preference for the north-northeast and south-southeast, which were likely influenced by local prevailing winds and sunlight. Both the adult and juvenile geckos prefer to construct their burrows in sandy soil within a layer of loose soil whose thickness is greater than 30 cm. A majority of the burrows were located within 20 m of the nearest plant. Nearly half （48%） of the entrances of juveniles were located within 5 m of the nearest vegetation, significantly different from those of the adults. Results showed that the Turpan wonder gecko did not utilize microhabitats according to their availability, but rather that it preferred rnicrohabitats which contained dead wood or the caper bush. Our results suggested that burrow characteristics and microhabitat selection were important factors in T. roborowskii adaptation to harsh and arid desert habitats.

原发性乳腺癌患者治疗前血清TPS水平与预后之间的关系(英文)

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the correlation of pretreatment serum tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) with prognosis in primary breast cancer. Methods: A total of 361 patients with grades I-III breast cancer had been followed up from January 2001 to February 2011. Serumal TPS level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate associations between pretreatment TPS level and clinicopathological parameters and patient outcomes. Results: First, at the univariate analysis, the expression of TPS was related with some clinicopathological traditional prognostic factors such as tumor size (P = 0.030), histologic grade (P = 0.001) and lymph node status (P = 0.008). Second, overall survival were significantly shorter among patients with elevated pretreatment serum TPS (P = 0.038). However, finally, multivariate Cox regression indicated that the level of pretreatment serum TPS was not an independent prognostic parameter for overall survival in primarily breast cancer patients (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The expression of pretreatment serum TPS is closely correlated with clinicopathology parameters and overall survival of patients with primarily breast cancer, but its level has no independent prognostic value.

eIF-Three to Tango: emerging functions of translation initiation factor eIF3 in protein synthesis and disease

Studies over the past three years have substantially expanded the involvements of eukaryotic initiation factor 3 (eIF3) in messenger RNA (mRNA) translation. It now appears that this multi-subunit complex is involved in every possible form of mRNA translation, controlling every step of protein synthesis from initiation to elongation, termination, and quality control in positive as well as negative fashion. Through the study of eIF3, we are beginning to appreciate protein synthesis as a highly integrated process coordinating protein production with protein folding, subcellular targeting, and degradation. At the same time, eIF3 subunits appear to have specific functions that probably vary between different tissues and individual cells. Considering the broad functions of eIF3 in protein homeostasis, it comes as little surprise that eIF3 is increasingly implicated in major human diseases and first attempts at therapeutically targeting eIF3 have been undertaken. Much remains to be learned, however, about subunit- and tissue-specific functions of eIF3 in protein synthesis and disease and their regulation by environmental conditions and post-translational modifications.