miRNAs have been recently reported to contribute to the etiology of endometriosis in stem cells. However, the mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this investigation is to explore the expression of ...miR-15a-5p and VEGFA in endometrial samples from patients with or without endometriosis. And then examine the regulation by miR-15a-5p on the expression of VEGFA.
Here we collected 31 endometrial samples from patients with or without endometriosis and characterized the miRNAs expression profiles of these two groups. Then, we investigated the regulation by microRNA-15a-5p (miR-15a-5p) on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in endometrial mesenchymal stem cells.
It was demonstrated that there was dramatically down-regulation of miR-15a-5p in the patients with endometriosis, compared with control patients. Moreover, we found that the up-regulation of miR-15a-5p suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion of these ectopic stem cells by targeting the 3' untranslated region of VEGFA.
Taken together, this newly identified miR-15a-5p module provides a new avenue to the understanding of the processes of endometriosis development, especially proliferation, motility as well as angiogenesis, and may facilitate the development of potential therapeutics against endometriosis.
Microsegregation in big ingots of Ti–45Al–(8–9)Nb–(W, B, Y) alloy had been studied. The composition and microstructural morphology of the large ingot exhibited significant microinhomogeneity. Three ...types of microsegregation were observed in as-cast microstructure of the large ingot. First is the solidification segregation (S-segregation) at interdendritic area, in which the composition is characterized by higher Al, B (boride), and Y (oxide) contents and lower Nb and W contents. Second is the β-segregation at the boundary and triple junctions among α grain due to the phase transformation of β
→
α. The composition at the segregation area is characterized by higher Nb and W additions that lead to the formation of β particles and γ phase. Third is the α-segregation that forms local lamellar structure composed of β, γ and α plates due to phase transformation of α
→
α
2
+
β
+
γ. The microsegregation for the PAM ingot is lower than that for SM ingot in terms of the volume fraction of β phase. The reason is that the PAM melting can offer better control of pouring temperature and rather fast cooling rate by water-cooled copper crucible.
We examined the aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression profile responsible for the changes in angiogenesis observed in endometriotic lesions. This study revealed characteristic miRNA expression ...profiles associated with endometriosis in endometrial tissue and endometriotic lesions from the same patient, and their correlation with the most important angiogenic and fibrinolytic factors. miRNA expression was quantified using a microRNA array and reverse-transcription microRNA polymerase chain reaction. Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (EGFR2), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The endometrial tissue showed significantly lower levels of miR-200b, miR-15a-5p, miR-19b-1-5p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-200c, and higher levels of miR-16-5p, miR-106b-5p, and miR-145-5p. VEGFA was significantly upregulated, whereas EGFR2, PTEN, and CXCR4 were markedly downregulated, in the endometriotic tissues compared to that in the normal endometrial tissues. In conclusion, differences in the miRNA levels could modulate the expression of VEGFA, EGFR2, PTEN, and CXCR4, and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. The higher angiogenic and proteolytic activities observed in the eutopic endometrium might facilitate the implantation of endometrial cells at ectopic sites.
The antimicrobial peptide NZ17074, which is derived from arenicin‐3 isolated from Arenicola marina, displayed high activity against a broad range of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. However, NZ17074 ...has not been produced using fermentation technology. The aim of this work was to study the expression of difficult‐to‐express NZ17074 in Pichia pastoris by fusing with SUMO3. The DNA fragments of NZ17074 and SUMO3 were fused into SUMO3‐NZ17074 using overlap PCR and cloned into the pPICZαA vector to construct the pPICZ‐SUMO3‐NZ17074 expression vector. The rSUMO3‐NZ17074 fusion protein, purified by Ni² ⁺ ‐chelating affinity chromatography, was cleaved by 50% formic acid at 50°C for 28 h to release recombinant NZ17074 (rNZ17074). After purification with second affinity column, 4·1 mg rNZ17074 peptide with the purity over 90% was obtained from per litre fermentation culture. The rNZ17074 peptide exhibited the significant inhibition activity against Gram‐negative bacteria: its minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were 2–4, 2 and 8–16 μg ml⁻¹, respectively, which indicated that SUMO3 is a good fusion partner for the expression of the toxic peptide. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Recombinant active NZ17074 was produced with Pichia pastoris by using high‐density fermentation technology for the first time. Our findings demonstrated the usefulness of SUMO‐fusion technology as an effective expression strategy for synthesizing peptides in yeast. This SUMO3 expression system with a lower cost would likely be widely used for the production of other cytotoxic proteins including antimicrobial peptides.
In this paper, we try to improve the magnetogram calibration method of the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope (SMFT). The improved calibration process fits the observed full Stokes information, using six ...points on the profile of Fe i 5324.18 Å line, and the analytical Stokes profiles under the Milne–Eddington atmosphere model, adopting the Levenberg–Marquardt least-squares fitting algorithm. In comparison with the linear calibration methods, which employs one point, there is a large difference in the strength of longitudinal field B
l and transverse field B
t, caused by the non-linear relationship, but the discrepancy is little in the case of inclination and azimuth. We conclude that it is better to deal with the non-linear effects in the calibration of B
l and B
t using six points. Moreover, in comparison with Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), SMFT has larger stray light and acquires less magnetic field strength. For vector magnetic fields in two sunspot regions, the magnetic field strength, inclination and azimuth angles between SMFT and HMI are roughly in agreement, with the linear fitted slopes of 0.73/0.7, 0.95/1.04 and 0.99/1.1. In the case of pores and quiet regions (B
l < 600 G), the fitted slopes of the longitudinal magnetic field strength are 0.78 and 0.87, respectively.
Summary
Barrett's esophagus (BE) is considered a complication of the inflammation provoked by acid and bile reflux. Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) expresses in various cells during inflammatory process. ...However, the role of ET‐1 in human inflamed and uninflamed esophageal tissue is unknown. The present study aimed to examine the expression of ET‐1 and its receptors in human reflux esophagitis (RE) and BE.
Endoscopic biopsies of normal squamous epithelium (NSE) (n = 20), RE (n = 22), and long segment BE (n = 14) were obtained. The segmental degree of endoscopic and histopathological inflammation was graded, and immunohistochemistry and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to determine the expression of ET‐1 and endothelin receptor A (ET(A)R) and endothelin receptor B (ET(B)R).
ET‐1 and ET(A)R messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were higher in RE than in NSE (3.25 ± 1.78 vs. 1.10 ± 0.71, P = 0.000; 2.13 ± 1.06 vs. 1.12 ± 0.64, P = 0.001, respectively). In BE, relative ET‐1 mRNA levels in the proximal segment were higher than in the distal segment (3.03 ± 1.83 vs. 1.16 ± 0.70, P = 0.004) and in normal esophageal epithelium (P = 0.002). There was no significantly difference of ET(A)R mRNA levels between the proximal segment and the distal segment (1.99 ± 1.28 vs. 1.14 ± 0.67, P = 0.072). ET(B)R mRNA expression was unaltered between the groups. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry demonstrated that ET‐1 expression increased significantly in RE (51.18 ± 30.14) compared with those in NSE (21.10 ± 18.17, P = 0.000) and in distal BE segment (28.02 ± 24.92, P = 0.022). There were more ET‐1 positive cells in proximal BE segment (50.07 ± 25.88) than in distal BE segment (P = 0.030) and in NSE (P = 0.001). ET‐1 expression increased in a stepwise manner with the growing degree of inflammation, and there were significant differences between mild, moderate, and marked degree esophagitis (36.08 ± 27.84, 65.86 ± 11.82, 98.00 ± 8.49, P = 0.003, respectively). However, expression of receptors remained unchanged.
This study demonstrates that over‐expression of ET‐1 and ET(A)R in esophagitis may be related to the inflammatory process. ET‐1 may play a significant role in the progression of Barrett's metaplasia.
Background:
Maternal hypothyroidism overt hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) during early pregnancy is suspected to associate with adverse obstetrical outcomes.
Aim:
The aim of the ...present study was to investigate whether maternal SCH during the early stage of pregnancy increase obstetrical complications and whether treatment results in an improvement in these outcomes.
Subjects and methods:
A total of 756 women in the 1
st
trimester (≤12 weeks) of pregnancy were enrolled through 10 hospitals in Shenyang from 2007 to 2009. All participants underwent thyroid function testing in early pregnancy and their obstetrical outcomes were studied following delivery.
Results:
The incidence of spontaneous abortions in the SCH group was higher than the normal TSH group (15.48%
vs
8.86%,
p
=0.03). No significant association was observed between SCH and other obstetrical complications including gestational hypertension, premature delivery, anemia,
post-partum
hemorrhage, low neonatal Apgar scores and low birth weight. Although levo-T
4
(L-T
4
) treatment decreased the incidence of spontaneous abortions in women with SCH, it was not statistically significant when compared to women who did not receive treatment in the SCH group. None of the 28 women who received L-T
4
treatment had premature delivery, low birth weight, hemorrhage, and low Apgar score.
Conclusions:
The incidence of spontaneous abortion in pregnant women with SCH increases in early pregnancy.
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