Routine screening for classical azoospermia factor deletions of the Y chromosome in azoospermic patients with Klinefelter syndrome

Aim： To evaluate the occurrence of classical azoospermia factor （AZF） deletions of the Y chromosome as a routine examination in azoospermic subjects with Klinefelter syndrome （KS）. Methods： Blood samples were collected from 95 azoospermic subjects with KS （91 subjects had a 47,XXY karyotype and four subjects had a mosaic 47,XXY/46, XY karyotype） and a control group of 93 fertile men. The values of testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone （FSH） and luteinizing hormone （LH） were measured. To determine the presence of Y chromosome microdeletions, polymerase chain reaction （PCR） of five sequence-tagged site primers （sY84, sY 129, sY 134, sY254, sY255） spanning the AZF region, was performed on isolated genomic DNA. Results： Y chromosome microdeletions were not found in any of the 95 azoosperrnic subjects with KS. In addition, using similar conditions of PCR, no microdeletions were observed in the 93 fertile men evaluated. The level of FSH in KS subjects was higher than that in fertile men （38.2 ± 10.3 mIU/mL vs. 5.4 ±2.9 mIU/mL, P 〈 0.001） and the testosterone level was lower than that in the control group （1.7 ±0.3 ng/mL vs. 4.3 ± 1.3 ng/mL, P 〈 0.001）. Conclusion： Our data and review of the published literature suggest that classical AZF deletions might not play a role in predisposing genetic background for the phenotype of azoospermic KS subjects with a 47,XXY karyotype. In addition, routine screening for the classical AZF deletions might not be required for these subjects. Further studies including partial AZFc deletions （e.g. gr/gr or b2/b3） are necessary to establish other mechanism underlying severe spermatogenesis impairment in KS.

Clinical and pathological correlation of the microdeletion of Y chromosome for the 30 patients with azoospermia and severe oligoasthenospermia

Aim: To review the accumulated 30 patients with different area of Y chromosome microdeletions, focusing on their correlation with the clinical and pathological findings. Methods: A total of 334 consecutive infertile men with azoospermia (218 patients) and severe oligoasthenospermia (116 patients) were screened. Complete physical and endocrinological examinations, general chromosome study and multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay to evaluate the Y chromosome microdeletion were performed. Ten patients received testicular biopsy. Then the clinical and pathological findings were analyzed with reference to the areas of Y chromosome microdeletion. Results: There is a decline of the percentage of sperm appearing in semen in the group that the gene deletion region from AZFc to AZFb. The clinical evidence of the impairment (decreased testicular size and elevated serum FSH) is also relevantly aggravated in this group. However, the pathology of testicular biopsy specimen was poorly correlated with the different deletion areas of the Y chromosome, which may be due to the limited number of specimens. Conclusion: The clinical correlation of spermatogenic impairment to the different AZF deletion regions may provide the information for the infertile couples in pre-treatment counseling.

PCR analysis of Yq microdeletions in infertile males, a study from South India

AIM: To estimate the frequency of microdeletions in the long arm of Y-chromosome of 20 infertile males from South India. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using Y-specific STS of azoospermia factor (AZF) regions i.e., SY 84 for AZFa, SY 127 for AZFb and SY 254 for AZFc. RESULTS: Of the 20 infertile subjects 3 (15 %), one azoospermic and two oligozoospermic, showed microdeletions in the AZF region of Y-chromosome. CONCLUSION: The frequency of deletions involving AZF region of the Y-chromosome is 15 % in azoospermic and severely oligozoospermic infertile men. PCR amplification of AZF locus is useful for the diagnosis of microdeletions in the Y-chromosome.

LOSS OF HETEROZYGOSITY ON CHROMOSOME 13 IN SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMAS OF THE LARYNX

Objective: To locate lost region of tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 13q in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx (LSCC) and to provide clues and evidence for discovering and locating new suppressor gene. Methods: Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 13q was analyzed in 58 LSCC patients by microsatellite polymorphic sequences in loci D13S765 (13q13), RB120 (13q142), D13S133 (13q143) and D13S318 (13q21) on chromosome 13 by PCR. Results: There weren't any LOH on chromosome 13q in 3 cases with preinvasive LSCC. Fortyfive percentage (24/53) of the 53 invasive LSCC cases showed LOH at one or more loci on chromosome 13q region. The highest percentage of LOH on chromosome 13q was 52% (22/53) at D13S765 locus. Conclusion: The deletion region on chromosome 13q was located near by D13S765 locus which is centromeric to RB1. In this region there is suppressor gene, which is related to the genesis and development of LSCC, possibly including RB1. The inactivation of these suppressor genes may be related to the genesis and development of invasive LSCC.

Nerve growth factor pretreatment against glutamate-induced hippocampal neuronal injury Action mechanism of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10

BACKGROUND： Nerve growth factor （NGF） attenuates glutamate-induced injury to hippocampal neurons, and the human tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 （PTEN） promotes neuronal apoptosis. However, effects of PTEN in NGF-mediated neuroprotection against glutamate excitotoxicity remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the relationship between NGF inhibition of glutamate-induced injury and PTEN. DESIGN, TIME AND SE＇I＇rlNG： The randomized, controlled, in vitro study was performed at the Department of Pathophysiology, Medical School of Nantong University, China from October 2007 to March 2008. MATERIALS： Glutamate, NGF, 4, 6-diamidino-2-phenyl-indolediacetate, 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]- 2, 5-diphenyl tetrazoliumbromide （M-I-F）, and lactate dehydrogenase kit （Sigma, USA）, fluorescence microscope and inverted phase contrast microscope （Olympus, Japan） were used in this study. METHODS： Hippocampal neurons were obtained from newborn （〈 24 hours） Sprague Dawley rats and cultured for 7 days. The control group was not treated with any intervention factor, the glutamate group was treated with glutamate （0.2 mmol/L）, and NGF groups were treated with NGF （10, 50, 100, and 200 μg/L, respectively） prior to glutamate treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： The MTT and lactate dehydrogenase assays were applied to evaluate viability of hippocampal neurons. Morphological changes in hippocampal neurons were observed using an inverted phase-contrast microscope, and neuronal apoptosis was detected by 4, 6-diamidino-2- phenyl-indolediacetate staining. PTEN mRNA and protein expression were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS： Glutamate （0.2 mmol/L） induced significantly decreased neuronal viability and greater lactate dehydrogenase efflux compared with the control group （P 〈 0.01）. However, compared with the glutamate group, cell viability significantly increased and lactate dehydrogenase efflux decreased in the NGF group with increasing NGF concentrations （P 〈 0.05 or P 〈 0.01）. The apoptotic ratio and PTEN mRNA and protein expression decreased in the NGF group compared with the glutamate group （P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： Pretreatment with NGF exerted neuroprotective effects against glutamate-induced injury, partially through inhibition of PTEN expression and neuronal apoptosis.

Effects and mechanism of adenovirus-mediated phosphatase and tension homologue deleted on chromosome ten gene on collagen deposition in rat liver fibrosis

AIM To evaluate the effects of phosphatase and tension homologue deleted on chromosome ten(PTEN) gene on collagen metabolism in hepatic fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms.METHODS rat primary hepatic stellate cells(HSCs) and human LX-2 cells were transfected with adenovirus containing c DNA constructs encoding wild-type PTEN(Ad-PTEN), PTEN mutant G129 E gene(Ad-G129E), and r NA interference constructs targeting the PTEN sequence PTEN short hairpin r NA to up-regulate and downregulate the expression of PTEN. HSCs were assayed using fluorescent microscopy, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting. Moreover, a CCl_4-induced rat hepatic fibrosis model was established to investigate the in vivo effects. Hematoxylin and eosin, and Masson's trichrome were used to assess the histological changes. The expression of collagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ was assessed using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis.RESULTS Elevated expression of PTEN gene reduced serum levels of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase, decreased collagen deposition in the liver, and reduced hepatocyte necrosis. In contrast, knockdown of PTEN expression had an opposite effect, such as increased collagen deposition in the liver, and was molecularly characterized by the increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-13(P < 0.01) and MMP-2(P < 0.01), as well as decreased expression of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(TIMP)-1(P < 0.01) and TIMP-2(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION These data indicated that gene therapy using recombinant adenovirus encoding PTEN might be a novel way of treating hepatic fibrosis.

Phosphatase and tensin homology deleted in chromosome 10,hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha gene expression in colorectal adenoma and adenocarcinoma and their relation to vascular endothelial growth factor protein expression

To examine phosphatase and tensin homology deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN),hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) gene expressions and their relation to vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) protein expression in the patients with human colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas.Methods The expression of PTEN,HIF-1 alpha gene was detected by using in situ hybridization,and the VEGF expression levels by immunohistochemistry in colorectal adenomas and primary colorectal adenocarcinoma.Results Strong expression of HIF-1 alpha was detectable in the majority of colorectal dadenocarcinoma,particularly surrounding areas of necrosis in adenocarcinoma.PTEN,HIF-1 alpha mRNA and VEGF protein were positive in 51.6%,67.7% and 59.7% respectively in 62 cases of adenocarcinomas,and 77.8%,44.4% and 33.3% respectively in 18 cases of adenomas.The positive rate of VEGF was higher in the patients with colorectal adenocarcinomas than that in those with adenomas,whereas that of PTEN mRNA was contrary.HIF-1 mRNA expression was correlated significantly with lymph node metastasis,liver metastasis,Duke’s stage and recurrence.During colorectal tumor progression,the expression of HIF-1 alpha mRNA was positively correlated with the VEGF protein expression (χ2= 4.751 ,P<0.05),but negatively with the PTEN mRNA expression(χ2=21.84,P<0.01).Conclusion The absence or low expression of PTEN and the increased levels of HIF-1α and VEGF may paly an important role in carcinogenesis and progression of colorectal carcinoma.These results suggest that VEGF upregulated by HIF-1 alpha gene may be involved in angiogenesis of colorectal adenocarcinoma.4 refs,1 tab.

PTEN inhibitor bisperoxovanadium protects against noise-induced hearing loss

Studies have shown that phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten(PTEN)participates in the regulation of cochlear hair cell survival.Bisperoxovanadium protects against neurodegeneration by inhibiting PTEN expression.However,whether bisperoxovanadium can protect against noise-induced hearing loss and the underlying mechanism remains unclear.In this study,we established a mouse model of noise-induced hearing loss by exposure to 105 dB sound for 2 hours.We found that PTEN expression was increased in the organ of Corti,including outer hair cells,inner hair cells,and lateral wall tissues.Intraperitoneal administration of bisperoxovanadium decreased the auditory threshold and the loss of cochlear hair cells and inner hair cell ribbons.In addition,noise exposure decreased p-PI3K and p-Akt levels.Bisperoxovanadium preconditioning or PTEN knockdown upregulated the activity of PI3K-Akt.Bisperoxovanadium also prevented H_(2)O_(2)-induced hair cell death by reducing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation in cochlear explants.These findings suggest that bisperoxovanadium reduces noise-induced hearing injury and reduces cochlear hair cell loss.

MiR-200a and miR-200b target PTEN to regulate the endometrial cancer cell growth in vitro

Objective:To study whether miR-200a and miR-200b target PTEN gene expression to regulate the endometrial cancer cell growth in vitro. Methods:Endometrial cancer cells ECC-1 were cultured and transfected with the miR-200a and miR-200b mimics and inhibitors as well as the negative control mimics and inhibitors,and then the cell proliferation activity as well as the expression of PTEN and downstream genes in cells was determined; after transfection of miR-200a and miR-200b mimics as well as PTEN-3'UTR luciferase report gene plasmids,the fluorescence activity of luciferase reporter gene was determined. Results:12 h,24 h and 48 h after transfection,the cell proliferation activity of miR-200a mimics group and miR-200b mimics group were significantly higher than those of NC mimics group while the cell proliferation activity of mi R-200 a inhibitor group and miR-200b inhibitor group were significantly lower than those of NC inhibitor group; 48 h after transfection,PTEN expression in cells and PTEN-3'UTR luciferase reporter gene fluorescence activity of miR-200 a mimics group and miR-200b mimics group were significantly lower than those of NC mimics group while p-PI3K and p-Akt expression were significantly higher than those of NC mimics group; PTEN expression in cells and PTEN-3'UTR luciferase reporter gene fluorescence activity of miR-200 inhibitor group and miR-200b inhibitor group were significantly higher than those of NC inhibitor group while p-PI3K and p-Akt expression were significantly lower than those of NC inhibitor group. Conclusion:miR-200 a and miR-200b can promote the endometrial cancer cell growth in vitro by targeted inhibition of PTEN gene expression.

PTEN and Ki67 expression is associated with clinicopathologic features of non-small cell lung cancer

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10（PTEN） and the proliferating antigen Ki67 have been widely studied in several tumors.However,their role as indicator in non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC）remains unknown.Here,we investigated the expression of PTEN and Ki67 in NSCLC tissues and paired normal lung tissues to identify whether these proteins are associated with lung cancer development and survival.Immunohistochemistry for PTEN and Ki67 was performed on 67 lung cancer tissues and 41 paired adjacent normal lung tissues to detect the expression of these two proteins.The expression of PTEN in NSCLC tissues（32.8%） was significantly lower than that in normal tissues（82.9%,P 〈 0.05）.In contrast,the expression of Ki67 in NSCLC tissues（76.1%） was significantly higher than that in normal tissues（27.3%,P 〈 0.05）.Expression of both PTEN and Ki67 were strongly associated with tumor histology,clinical stage,lymph node metastasis,differentiation and4-year postoperative survival rate（P 〈 0.05）.However,PTEN expression was negatively correlated with Ki67 expression（r =-0.279,P 〈 0.05）.In conclusion,low PTEN expression and Ki67 overexpression are associated with malignant invasion and lymph node metastasis of NSCLC.These proteins may serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of NSCLC.

Upregulated DJ-1 Promotes Renal Tubular EMT by Suppressing Cytoplasmic PTEN Expression and Akt Activation

Recently,phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10（PTEN） is suggested as a new agent in the fighting against fibrogenesis.In tumor,DJ-1 is identified as a negative regulator of PTEN.But the expression of DJ-1 and the regulation of PTEN in fibrosis are unclear.Renal fibrosis was induced in 5/6 subtotal nephrectomy rat model.Human proximal tubular epithelial cells（HKC） were treated with transforming growth factor-beta 1（TGF-β1）,or transfected with DJ-1 or PTEN.Confocal microscope was used to investigate the localization of DJ-1 and PTEN.The selective phosphoinositide-3 kinase（PI3K） inhibitor,LY294002,was administered to inhibit PI3K pathway.The DJ-1 and PTEN expression,markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition（EMT） and Akt phosphorylation were measured by RT-PCR,Western blotting or immunocytochemistry.In vitro,after HKC cells were stimulated with 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 for 72 h,the expression of DJ-1 was increased,and that of PTEN was decreased.In vivo,the same results were identified in 5/6-nephrectomized rats.In normal HKC cells,most of DJ-1 protein localized in cytoplasm,and little in nucleus.TGF-β1 upregulated DJ-1 expression in both cytoplasma and nuclei.In contrary,TGF-β1 emptied cytoplasmic PTEN protein into nucleus.Overexpression of DJ-1 decreased the expression of PTEN,promoted the activation of Akt and the expression of vimentin,and also led to the loss of cytoplasmic PTEN.Contrarily,overexpression of PTEN protected HKC cells from TGF-β1-induced EMT.In conclusion,DJ-1 is upregulated in renal fibrosis and DJ-1 mediates EMT by suppressing cytoplasmic PTEN expression and Akt activation.

Relationsip between PTEN and VEGF Expression and Clinicopathological Characteristics in HCC

To investigate the expressions and significance of the tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homlog deleted on chromosome ten protein （PTEN） and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）, and to analyze the relationship between their expressions and the tumor＇s invasion and their pericarcinomatous tissues, the correlation of their expressions with the tumor＇s clinicopathological characteristics and invasion potential were studied. Our study showed that the expression level of PTEN in HCC was remarkably lower than that in pericarcinomatous liver tissues, while the expressions of both VEGF and MVD were higher than that in pericarcinomatous liver tissues. Correlation analysis revealed that the expression of PTEN was negatively related to the progression of the pathological differentiation and invasion of tumor, whereas the expressions of VEGF and MVD were positively related. Moreover, there was a negative relationship between the expression of PTEN and the expressions of VEGF and MVD, and a positive one between VEGF and MVD. The expressions of PTEN and VEGF may reveal the degree of differentiation and the invasive potential of HCC tissues. The mechanism by which the lack of PTEN expression probably induces abnormal hyperexpression of VEGF may play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of HCC.

Age- and gender-dependent obesity in individuals with 16pl1.2 deletion

Recurrent genomic imbalances at 16p 11.2 are genetic risk factors of variable penetrance for developmental delay and autism.Recently, 16pl 1.2（chr16：29.5 Mb-30.1 Mb） deletion has also been detected in individuals with early-onset severe obesity.The penetrance of 16p11.2 deletion as a genetic risk factor for obesity is unknown.We evaluated the growth and body mass characteristics of 28 individuals with 16p11.2 （chr16：29.5 Mb-30.1 Mb） deletion originally ascertained for their developmental disorders by reviewing their medical records.We found that nine individuals could be classified as obese and six as overweight.These individuals generally had early feeding and growth difficulties,and started to gain excessive weight around 5-6 years of age.Thirteen out of the 18 deletion carriers aged 5 years and older（72%） were overweight or obese,whereas only two of 10 deletion carriers（20%） younger than five were overweight or obese.Males exhibited more severe obesity than females.Thus,the obesity phenotype of 16p11.2 deletion carriers is of juvenile onset,exhibited an age- and gender-dependent penetrance. 16p11.2 deletion appears to predispose individuals to juvenile onset obesity and in this case are similar to the well-described Prader-Willi syndrome（PWS）.Early detection of this deletion will provide opportunity to prevent obesity.

Large chromosomal segment deletions by CRISPR/LbCpf1-mediated multiplex gene editing in soybean

The creation of new soybean varieties has been limited by genomic duplication and redundancy.Efficient multiplex gene editing and large chromosomal segment deletion through clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein(Cas)systems are promising strategies for overcoming these obstacles.CRISPR/Cpf1 is a robust tool for multiplex gene editing.However,large chromosomal excision mediated by CRISPR/Cpf1 has been reported in only a few non-plant species.Here,we report on CRISPR/LbCpf1-induced large chromosomal segment deletions in soybean using multiplex gene targeting.The CRISPR/LbCpf1 system was optimized for direct repeat and guide RNA lengths in crispr RNA(crRNA)array.The editing efficiency was evaluated using LbCpf1 driven by the CaMV35S and soybean ubiquitin promoter.The optimized system exhibited editing efficiencies of up to 91.7%.Our results showed eight gene targets could be edited simultaneously in one step when a single eight-gRNA-target crRNA array was employed,with an efficiency of up to 17.1%.We successfully employed CRISPR/LbCpf1 to produce small fragments(<1 Kb)and large chromosomal segment deletions(10 Kb-1 Mb)involving four different gene clusters in soybean.Together,these data demonstrate the power of the CRISPR/LbCpf1 platform for multiplex gene editing and chromosomal segment deletion in soybean,supporting the use of this technology in both basic research and agricultural applications.

MiR-106b-5p Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-induced Apoptosis by Targeting Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog Deleted on Chromosome 10 in Vascular Endothelial Cells

Background： Apoptosis of endothelial cells （ECs） plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis and there are also evidence indicated that phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 （PTEN） is a viable target in therapeutic approaches to prevent vascular ECs apoptosis. Aberrant miR-106b-5p expression has been reported in the plasma of patients with unstable atherosclerotic plaques. However, the role and underlying mechanism of miR-106-5p in the genesis of atherosclerosis have not been addressed. In this study, we explored the anti-apoptotic role of miR-106-5p by regulating PTEN expression in vascular ECs. Methods： Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） was performed to detect the expression levels of miR-106b-5p in human atherosclerotic plaques and normal vascular tissues. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HUVEC） were transfected with miR-106b-5p mimic or negative control mimic, and apoptosis was induced by serum starvation and tumor necrosis factor-α （TN F-α） treat. Western blotting and real-time RT-PCR experiments were used to detect PTEN expression levels and TN F-α-induced apoptosis was evaluated by the activation of caspase-3 and cell DNA fragmentation levels in HUVEC. Results： The expression ofmiR-106b-5p was significantly downregulated in plaques than in normal vascular tissues. TNF-α significantly downregulated miR-106b-5p expression levels and upregulated activation of caspase-3 and cell DNA fragmentation levels in HUVEC. Overexpression ofmiR-106b-5p with miR-106b-5p mimic inhibited PTEN expression and TNF-α-induced apoptosis in HUVEC. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that miR-106b-5p binds to PTEN mRNA 3＇ untranslated region site, Conclusion： MiR-106b-5p could inhibit the expression of PTEN in vascular ECs, which could block TNF-α-induced activation of caspase-3, thus prevent ECs apoptosis in atherosclerosis diseases.

Hepatoprotective effects of Xiaoyao San formula on hepatic steatosis and inflammation via regulating the sex hormones metabolism

BACKGROUND The modified Xiaoyao San(MXS)formula is an adjuvant drug recommended by the National Health Commission of China for the treatment of liver cancer,which has the effect of preventing postoperative recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma and prolonging patient survival.However,the molecular mechanisms underlying that remain unclear.AIM To investigate the role and mechanisms of MXS in ameliorating hepatic injury,steatosis and inflammation.METHODS A choline-deficient/high-fat diet-induced rat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)model was used to examine the effects of MXS on lipid accumulation in primary hepatocytes.Liver tissues were collected for western blotting and immunohisto chemistry(IHC)assays.Lipid accumulation and hepatic fibrosis were detected using oil red staining and Sirius red staining.The serum samples were collected for biochemical assays and NMR-based metabonomics analysis.The inflammation/lipid metabolism-related signaling and regulators in liver tissues were also detected to reveal the molecular mechanisms of MXS against NASH.RESULTS MXS showed a significant decrease in lipid accumulation and inflammatory response in hepatocytes under metabolic stress.The western blotting and IHC results indicated that MXS activated AMPK pathway but inhibited the expression of key regulators related to lipid accumulation,inflammation and hepatic fibrosis in the pathogenesis of NASH.The metabonomics analysis systemically indicated that the arachidonic acid metabolism and steroid hormone synthesis are the two main target metabolic pathways for MXS to ameliorate liver inflammation and hepatic steatosis.Mechanistically,we found that MXS protected against NASH by attenuating the sex hormone-related metabolism,especially the metabolism of male hormones.CONCLUSION MXS ameliorates inflammation and hepatic steatosis of NASH by inhibiting the metabolism of male hormones.Targeting male hormone related metabolic pathways may be the potential therapeutic approach for NASH.