T help cell 17 (Th17), recently identified as a new subset of CD4⁺ T cells, has been implicated in autoimmune diseases, tumor immunity, and transplant rejection. To investigate the role of Th17 in acute hepatic rejection, a rat model of allogeneic liver transplantation (Dark Agouti (DA) to Brown Norway (BN)) was established and isogeneic liver transplantation (BN to BN) was used as controls in the study. The expression of Th17-related cytokines in the liver and peripheral blood was determined by immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), or real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Strong expression of interleukin-17A (IL-17A), IL-6, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), IL-8, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) was observed in liver allografts. The ratios of Th17 to CD4⁺ lymphocytes in the liver and peripheral blood were dramatically increased in the allograft group compared with the control (P<0.01). Secreted IL-17 and IL-6 in liver homogenate and serum were significantly elevated in the allograft group, while secreted TGF-β was increased in liver homogenate and decreased in serum compared with the control (P<0.01). The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of IL-17, IL-21, and IL-23 were enhanced in the allografts compared with the control (P<0.01). Correlation analysis showed significant correlations between IL-17 and IL-6 and TGF-β and between IL-17 and IL-21 and IL-23. The present study demonstrates that Th17 plays a role in promoting rat liver allograft rejection.

Objectives: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) can lead to acute lung injury (ALI). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the protective effect of clodronate-containing liposomes on ALI in rats with SAP. Methods: The thin film method was used to prepare liposomes. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. After the SAP model was established by injecting 5% (w/v) sodium taurocholate (2 ml/kg body weight) into the subcapsular space of the pancreata, normal saline was administered to the control (C) group, phosphate buffer solution (PBS)-containing liposome to the P group, and clodronate-containing liposome to the T group through tail veins. Blood samples were obtained from the superior mesenteric vein at 2 and 6 h to measure the levels of amylase, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Morphological changes in the pancreata and lung were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, while cell apoptosis was detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL). In addition, the macrophage marker cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68) in lung tissue was detected with immunohistochemistry. Results: Blood levels of amylase, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly increased in the P group compared to those in the T group (P<0.05). In the T group, large numbers of TUNEL-positive cells were observed, but no or few in the C and P groups. Gross inspection and H&E staining of pancreata and lung showed dramatic tissue damage, including inflammation and necrosis in the P group. Less remarkable changes were noted in the T group, and the C group exhibited normal histology. The histological scores according to Kaiser’s criteria were consistent with H&E findings. The number of CD68-positive macrophages decreased in the T group. Conclusions: Clodronate-containing liposomes have a protective effect against ALI in rats with SAP. Blockade of macrophages may represent a novel therapeutic strategy in SAP.

Retinoic acid level in the retina/choroid is altered in induced myopia models. All-trans-retinol dehydrogenase (RDH8) is an important enzyme of retinoic acid metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the association of the RDH8 gene with high myopia. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) [RDH851 (rs2233789), RDH8E5a (rs1644731), and RDH855b (rs3760753)] were selected, based on the linkage disequilibrium pattern of RDH8 from a previous study, and genotyped for 160 Han Chinese nuclear families with highly myopic (−10 diopters or worse) offspring as well as in an independent group with 166 highly myopic cases (−10 diopters or worse) and 211 controls. Family-based association analysis was performed using the family-based association test (FBAT) package, and genotype relative risk (GRR) was calculated using the GenAssoc program. Population-based association analysis was performed using Chi-square test. These SNPs were in linkage equilibrium with each other. SNPs RDH851 (rs2233789) and RDH8E5a (rs1644731) both did not show association with high myopia. SNP RDH855b (rs3760753) demonstrated significant association (P=0.0269) with a GRR of 0.543 (95% confidence interval=0.304–0.968, P=0.038). The association became statistically insignificant, however, after multiple comparison correction. Haplotype analysis did not show a significant association either. Population-based association analysis also showed no significant association (P>0.05). Our family- and population-based data both suggest that the RDH8 gene is unlikely to be associated with high myopia in Chinese.

Extrapontine myelinolysis and pure word deafness are very uncommon disorders. Here, we report a case of a 19-year-old woman who suffered from osmotic demyelination syndrome with coincidence of typical pure word deafness. As a consequence of rapid correction of hyponatremia, the patient demonstrated an initial onset of cortical deafness, and then progressed to generalized auditory agnosia, which eventually developed into confined verbal auditory agnosia (pure word deafness). Bilateral extrapontine myelinolysis was confirmed using brain magnetic resonance imaging. This case suggests that verbal and nonverbal stimuli may involve separate thalamocortical pathways.

Fulminant type 1 diabetes is a recently discovered subtype of idiopathic type 1 diabetes, defined as diabetes with an extremely rapid process of β-cell destruction and progression to hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis. In this report, we present a case of fulminant type 1 diabetes in a 45-year-old Chinese woman, along with a review of the literature. The patient presented with sudden onset of polydipsia and polyuria after flu-like symptoms. Findings on admission included a high blood glucose level and ketoacidosis, but normal HbA1c level. The C-peptide stimulation test showed severe impairment of insulin secretion. Autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) were negative. These results are compatible with the diagnosis of fulminant type 1 diabetes. Human leukocyte antigen-DR7 (HLA-DR7) was available in this case. It is concluded that this rapidly progressing type of diabetes exists, and we propose that HLA-DR7 might be predisposed to fulminant type 1 diabetes in Chinese patients.

Transgenic Brassica compestris L. spp. chinensis plants expressing a choline oxidase (codA) gene from Arthrobacter globiformis were obtained through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. In the transgenic plants, codA gene expression and its product transportation to chloroplasts were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) examination, immunogold localization, and ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR). Stress tolerance was evaluated in the T₃ plants under extreme temperature and salinity conditions. The plants of transgenic line 1 (L1) showed significantly higher net photosynthetic rate (P_n) and P_n recovery rate under high (45 °C, 4 h) and low temperature (1 °C, 48 h) treatments, and higher photosynthetic rate under high salinity conditions (100, 200, and 300 mmol/L NaCl, respectively) than the wild-type plants. The enhanced tolerance to high temperature and high salinity stresses in transgenic plants is associated with the accumulation of betaine, which is not found in the wild-type plants. Our results indicate that the introduction of codA gene from Arthrobacter globiformis into Brassica compestris L. spp. chinensis could be a potential strategy for improving the plant tolerance to multiple stresses.

A transgenic barley line (LSY-11-1-1) with overexpressed Phalaris coerulescens thioredoxin gene (PTrx) was employed to measure the growth, protein oxidation, cell viability, and antioxidase activity in barley roots during germination on the presence of 2 mmol/L AlCl₃ on filter paper. The results show that (1) compared with the non-transgenic barley, LSY-11-1-1 had enhanced root growth, although both were seriously inhibited after AlCl₃ treatment; (2) the degree of protein oxidation and loss of cell viability in roots of LSY-11-1-1 were much less than those in roots of non-transgenic barley, as reflected by lower contents of protein carbonyl and Evans blue uptakes in LSY-11-1-1; (3) activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) in LSY-11-1-1 root tips were generally higher than those in non-transgenic barley root tips, although these antioxidase activities gave a rise to different degrees in both LSY-11-1-1 and non-transgenic barley under aluminum stress. These results indicate that overexpressing PTrx could efficiently protect barley roots from oxidative injury by increasing antioxidase activity, thereby quenching ROS caused by AlCl₃ during germination. These properties raise the possibility that transgenic barley with overexpressed PTrx may be used to reduce the aluminum toxicity in acid soils.

A simple yet useful criterion based on external markings and/or number of dorsal spines is currently used to differentiate two congeneric archer fish species Toxotes chatareus and Toxotes jaculatrix. Here we investigate other morphometric and meristic characters that can also be used to differentiate these two species. Principal component and/or discriminant functions revealed that meristic characters were highly correlated with pectoral fin ray count, number of lateral line scales, as well as number of anal fin rays. The results indicate that T. chatareus can be distinguished from T. jaculatrix by having a greater number of lateral line scales, a lower number of pectoral fin rays, and a higher number of anal fin rays. In contrast, morphometric discriminant analyses gave relatively low distinction: 76.1% of fish were ascribed to the correct species cluster. The observed morphometric differences came from the dorsal and anal spines lengths, with T. chatareus having shorter dorsal and longer anal spines than T. jaculatrix. Overall, meristic traits were more useful than morphometrics in differentiating the two species; nevertheless, meristics and morphometrics together provide information about the morphological differentiation between these two closely related archer fishes.

Nucleoside phosphorylase is an important enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of nucleosides. In this study, purine nucleoside phosphorylase and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase were co-expressed in Escherichia coli and the intact cells were used as a catalyst for the biosynthesis of nucleosides. For protein induction, lactose was used in place of isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). When the concentration of lactose was above 0.5 mmol/L, the ability to induce protein expression was similar to that of IPTG. We determined that the reaction conditions of four bacterial strains co-expressing these genes (TUD, TAD, DUD, and DAD) were similar for the biosyntheses of 2,6-diaminopurine nucleoside and 2,6-diaminopurine deoxynucleoside. When the substrate concentration was 30 mmol/L and 0.5% of the recombinant bacterial cell volume was used as the catalyst (pH 7.5), a greater than 90% conversion yield was reached after a 2-h incubation at 50 °C. In addition, several other nucleosides and nucleoside derivatives were efficiently synthesized using bacterial strains co-expressing these recombinant enzymes.

Long-term preservation and easy transportation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) will facilitate their application in medical treatment and bioengineering. A pilot study on the freeze-drying of hBM-MSCs was carried out. hBM-MSCs were loaded with trehalose. The glass transition temperature of the freeze-drying suspension was measured to provide information for the cooling and primary drying experiment. After freeze-drying, various rehydration processes were tested. The highest recovery rate of hBM-MSCs was (69.33卤13.08)%. Possible methods to improve freeze-drying outcomes are discussed. In conclusion, the present study has laid a foundation for the freeze-drying hBM-MSCs.