Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering Reviews最新文献

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soybean, selenium and spirulina on bone metabolic factors in rats with combined fluoride and aluminum poisoning.Methods:Sixty SD rats were allocated to five groups: A control group, a high-fluoride aluminum group, a high-fluoride aluminum plus soybean group, a high-fluoride aluminum plus selenium group, and a high-fluoride aluminum plus spirulina group. Serum samples were collected and radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to measure osteocalcin (BGP), calcitonin (CT), parathyroid hormone (PHT) and insulin growth factor I (IGF-1) levels after 90 and 165 days of intervention. 1. When comparing the serum BGP level in the high-fluorine aluminum plus selenium group with the high-fluorine aluminum group, suggesting that the addition of selenium intervention was beneficial in reducing the effect of high-fluorine aluminum on bone homeostasis. 2. After 90 days and 165 days, the difference in serum CT levels between the intervention group and the control group was not statistically significant, suggesting an effect of the intervention factors.3. After 90 days of exposure, the three intervention groups had lower serum PTH levels (p < 0.00), inferring the efficacy of the interventions.4. After 90 days, serum IGF-1 levels were elevated in the Spirulina group compared with the high-fluorinated aluminum group, and the difference was statistically significant, suggesting that the addition of Spirulina intervention may counteract the inhibition of bone growth by high-fluorinated aluminum. The intervention of soybean, selenium, and spirulina can counterbalance the effects of fluoride and aluminum on bone metabolism and slow down the process of bone turnover.

To investigate the correlation between the coefficient of variation of blood pressure and cognitive dysfunction in patients with hypertension complicated by cerebral small vessel disease. 415 patients with hypertension complicated by cerebral small vessel disease who received treatment in our hospital from January 2019 to June 2022 were retrospectively included in this study. These patients were divided into a cognitive dysfunction group (n = 74) and a non-cognitive dysfunction group (n = 341) according to whether they had cognitive dysfunction. Blood pressure and general data were recorded for each patient. The logistic regression coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between coefficient of variation of blood pressure and cognitive dysfunction in patients with hypertension complicated by cerebral small vessel disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, the weighted standard deviation of 24-hour systolic blood pressure (24hSBP-wSD), cholesterol level, and triglyceride level were risk factors for cognitive dysfunction in patients with hypertension complicated by cerebral small vessel disease (P < 0.05). The risk for cognitive dysfunction was increased by 3.532-fold in patients aged>65 years, increased by 1.203-fold in patients with a 24hSBP-wSD of 14.9-15.9%, and increased by 3.033-fold in patients with a 24hSBP-wSD>16.0% (P < 0.05). The coefficient of variation of blood pressure is markedly correlated with the risk for cognitive dysfunction; and a higher coefficient of variation of blood pressure leads to a higher risk for cognitive dysfunction in patients with hypertension complicated by cerebral small vessel disease.

Uncoordinated 51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) is an essential part involved in autophagy to maintain cell viability and homeostasis. Herein, the expression levels of ULK1 in colon cancer (CC) were investigated, and its clinicopathological features and potential function were analyzed. Data of ULK1 were obtained from a public database. UCSC XENA RNAseq data were uniformly processed by using the Toil process. STRING was employed for identification of co-expression genes and development of PPI networks whose interaction scores exceeded 0.4. The level of immune cells for tumor infiltration was calculated by means of single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) on the basis of mRNA data of CC. The ULK1 expression was upregulated compared with both paired and unpaired normal tissues. The mRNA expression of ULK1 was upregulated in CC patients with lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and pathological stages of 3 and 4. The disease-specific survival (DSS), progression-free interval (PFI), and the overall survival (OS) of patients with upregulated mRNA expression of ULK1 were drastically reduced. Functionally, any changes related to the biological process of ULK1 may be related to macroautophagy, autophagosome organization and autophagosome assembly. As a co-expressed gene (CEG), ATG101 was up-regulated in CC tissues and indicated poor survival. ULK1 is closely related to immune cells. ULK1 expression is upregulated in CC cells and upregulation of ULK1 may serve as an accurate prognostic factor, thereby providing novel intervention targets for therapy.

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to summarize the blood purification technology applied in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in the clinical treatment effect.

Methods: The medical records of 96 patients with severe SFTS admitted to Weihai Municipal Hospital affiliated to Shandong University from May 2014 to November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into survival group and death group. The differences in basic data test indexes and treatment method selection during intensive care unit (ICU) admission between the two groups were significantly analyzed, and the indexes with statistically significant differences were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis related to prognosis.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in age, sex composition, white blood cell count, platelet count, creatine kinase (CK), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), serum creatinine and hemofiltration renal replacement therapy between the survival group and the death group. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in viral load bilirubin and the treatment methods of plasma exchange (PE) or hemoperfusion (HP). Plasma exchange group (78 cases), hemofiltration group (12 cases), hemoperfusion group (6 cases), plasma exchange and hemoperfusion and other blood purification treatment of the prognosis were statistically different.

Conclusions: Compared with the three blood purification methods, plasmapheresis has a significant effect on virus removal, improvement of coagulation function and survival rate in patients with severe SFTS. Hemofiltration plays a role in removing inflammatory mediators, replacing renal function, maintaining electrolytes and acid-base balance, but not in removing viruses.

Prolonged insulin resistance is considered one of the reasons for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Upregulation of Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), a negative regulator of insulin signalling, has been well studied as a key regulator in prognosis to insulin resistance. It has been widely studied as a desirable molecular therapeutic target. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of leaf extract of the medicinal plants Silybum marianum on the inhibition of PTP1B activity. It also explored the synergistic effect with extracts of Gymnema sylvestre (leaves), Momordica charantia (seeds), and Trigonella foenum graecum (seeds). The S. marianum leaves showed dose-dependent inhibition of PTP1B ranging from 9.48-47.95% (25-1000 μg mL-1). Assay with individual plant extracts showed comparatively lesser inhibition of PTP1B as compared to metformin as a control (38% inhibition). However, a synergistic effect showed nearly 45% PTP1B inhibition (higher than metformin) after the assay was done with selected four plant extracts in combination. The effect of leaf extracts of S. marianum was studied for glucose uptake efficiency in yeast cell lines which was found to be increased by 23% as compared to the control (without extract). Metformin improves glucose upake by yeast cells by ~15-31%. GC-MS analysis revealed 23 phytochemicals, some of which possessed anti-diabetic properties. A dose-dependent increase in antioxidant activity of S. marianum leaves extracts was observed (40-53%). The findings of the study highlighted the presence of various phytochemicals in leaves extracts that are effective against PTP1B inhibition and may help in reinvigorating drug development.

The objective of this study is to present the two cases of cervical hemivertebra and torticollis, and To describe technique and result of cervical hemivertebra resection and torticollis correction via a anterior-posterior surgical approach and occipitocervical fusion. Cervical hemivertebra, accompanied by abipartite atlas, agenesis of odontoid and C2 segmental type of vertebral artery (VA), is a rare, but complex congenital anomalies, associated with cervical scoliosis and occipitocervical instability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on such congenital anomaly and deformity correction via anterior-posterior hemivertebra resection with occipitocervical fusion. Two patients were presented with torticollis due to congenital cervical hemivertebra accompanied by abipartite atlas, agenesis of odontoid and C2 segmental type of VA. Deformity correction was executed by an anterior-posterior hemivertebra resection and occipitocervical fusion with segment instrumentation. The treatment course was uneventful and clinical outcomes was favorable. The radiographs showed a satisfactory deformity correction with a well-balanced coronal and sagittal alignment. Hemivertebra resection with occipitocervical fusion could correct torticollis with satisfactory clinical and radiographical outcome.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and heart failure (HF) are common in clinic, and they often coexist, triggering poor prognosis of patients and increasing hospitalization rates and mortality. Due to some common pathophysiological mechanisms between T2DM and HF, the two have synergistic effects and require collaborative management . In terms of the treatment of T2DM combined with HF, the effects of drugs on both diseases need to be considered to prevent the impact of HF drugs on glycometabolism. As an SGLT2 inhibitor, dapagliflozin can excrete glucose through the kidneys, reduce blood volume, decrease cardiac load to some extent, improve HF symptoms, and better control blood glucose . Therefore, this study selected 60 HF patients complicated with T2DM as the research subjects, and divided them into control group (CLG, conventional medical treatment) and observation group (ONG, dapagliflozin treatment) to explore the effects of dapagliflozin through comparative analysis. According to the results, compared with CLG, ONG had better improvement of blood glucose, cardiac function, and serum levels (P < 0.05), and a lower rehospitalization rate (P < 0.05), with no obvious between-group differences in the incidence of hypotension and emaciation (P > 0.05). These results showed that dapagliflozin in the treatment of T2DM with HF can improve blood glucose levels, cardiac function indexes and inflammatory factor levels, and decrease rehospitalization rates, presenting good clinical efficacy.

Micronutrient deficiency conditions, such as anemia, are the most prevalent global health problem due to inadequate iron and folate in dietary sources. Biofortification advancements can propel the rapid amelioration of nutritionally beneficial components in crops that are required to combat the adverse effects of micronutrient deficiencies on human health. To date, several strategies have been proposed to increase micronutrients in plants to improve food quality, but very few approaches have intrigued `clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats' (CRISPR) modules for the enhancement of iron and folate concentration in the edible parts of plants. In this review, we discuss two important approaches to simultaneously enhance the bioavailability of iron and folate concentrations in rice endosperms by utilizing advanced CRISPR-Cas9-based technology. This includes the 'tuning of cis-elements' and 'enhancer re-shuffling' in the regulatory components of genes that play a vital role in iron and folate biosynthesis/transportation pathways. In particular, base-editing and enhancer re-installation in native promoters of selected genes can lead to enhanced accumulation of iron and folate levels in the rice endosperm. The re-distribution of micronutrients in specific plant organs can be made possible using the above-mentioned contemporary approaches. Overall, the present review discusses the possible approaches for synchronized iron and folate biofortification through modification in regulatory gene circuits employing CRISPR-Cas9 technology.

Objective: To investigate the potential mechanism of arachidonic acid deoxyribozyme 15 (ALOX15) in ferroptosis and inflammation induced by cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury.

Methods: The mice and cell models of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury were constructed. Western Blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of ALOX15, glutathione peroxidase (GPX4), hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α), prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) and inflammatory factors (NLRP3, IL-1β, IL-18) in brain tissues and cells. Cell proliferation activity was detected by CCK-8 method. LDH assay was used to detect the release of lactate dehydrogenase. TTC staining was used to observe cerebral infarction.

Results: In cerebral ischemia-reperfusion mice and cell models, the expression of ALOX15 protein was increased, the expression of GPX4, a key marker of ferroptosis was decreased, and silencing of ALOX15 down-regulated the GPX4 expression. HIF-2α expression was down-regulated in animal and cell models of cerebral ischemia reperfusion, and silencing of ALOX15 increased the HIF-2α expression by inhibiting PHD2 expression. Inhibition of ALOX15 expression reduced inflammatory factors levels (NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18) in cerebral ischemia. Inhibitor of PHD2 (IXOC-4) alleviating brain injury and cell death induced by cerebral ischemia reperfusion and stabilize HIF-2α expression in vivo.

Conclusion: The expression of ALOX15 was up-regulated in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion animals and cells model. Inhibition of ALOX15 up-regulated the GPX4 expression, and promoted HIF-2α expression by inhibiting PHD2, thus alleviating ferroptosis and inflammation caused by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

This study aims to study the effffects of Tiaoshen Changzhi acupuncture on behavior and striatum ΔFosB in rats with Levodopa-induced Dyskinesias (LIDs). In this experimental study, Levodopa-induced Dyskinesia (LID) rat models were established by 6-OHDA double-target injection and randomly assigned to six groups, with ten rats in each group. The rats were subjected to difffferent interventions for 28 days, and their behavior was observed. Additionally, the content of ΔFosB, a marker of neuronal activation, in the rat striatum was detected by immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR. In contrallateral rotation behavior experiment and AIM experiment, the score of the model group was significantly increased, compared with the model group, the score of the Western medicine group, the ordinary acupuncture group and the Tiaoshen Changzhi group was significantly decreased (P < 0.01), the score of the Western medicine group and the Tiaoshen Changzhi group was significantly lower than the ordinary acupuncture group (P < 0.01), there was no statistical significance between the Western medicine group and the Tiaoshen Changzhi group (P>0.05). In the left forelimb function test, the score of the model group was significantly decreased, and compared with the model group, the left forelimb function score of the Western medicine group, the ordinary acupuncture group and the Tiaoshen Changzhi group were significantly increased (P < 0.01). The left forelimb function score of the Western medicine group and the Tiaoshen Changzhi group was higher than the ordinary acupuncture group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was no statistical significance between Western medicine group and Tiaoshen Changzhi group (P > 0.05). After treatment, the content of ΔFosB in the striatum of the Western medicine group, the ordinary acupuncture group and the Tiaoshen Changzhi acupuncture group all decreased, the Western medicine group was better than the ordinary acupuncture group (P < 0.01), and the Tiaoshen Changzhi acupuncture group was better than the ordinary acupuncture group (P < 0.05). Tiaoshen Changzhi acupuncture can improve the behavioral performance of LID rats, reduce abnormal involuntary movement and contralateral rotation behavior and enhance the motor function of the left forelimb of rats. One of its therapeutic mechanisms for LID may be to reduce the expression level of ΔFosB in the striatum of LID rats, thereby reducing the symptoms of LID rats.