我国弓形虫Chinese 1优势基因型感染对小鼠脑组织铁代谢影响

目的　探讨我国弓形虫Chinese 1优势基因型感染对宿主脑组织铁代谢及脑损伤的影响。方法　将20只C57BL/6（体质量15～17 g）小鼠随机分为对照组和感染组，每组10只。感染组每只小鼠腹腔注射4 000个弓形虫Chinese 1优势基因型TgCtwh3虫株速殖子，对照组小鼠注射等量无菌PBS，饲养6 d后处死小鼠并取其脑组织。采用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP⁃MS）检测小鼠脑组织铁元素水平；采用RNA芯片检测两组小鼠脑组织差异基因数目并对功能基因表达情况进行基因本体论（Gene Ontology, GO）功能富集；采用实时荧光定量PCR（fluorescent quantitative real⁃time PCR, qPCR）技术检测小鼠脑组织中弓形虫表面抗原1（Toxoplasma gondii surface antigen 1，TgSAG1）基因及部分锌铁调控蛋白（Zrt⁃ and Irt⁃like protein, ZIP）家族mRNA表达水平；采用光镜和电镜观察小鼠脑组织海马齿轮回（dentate gyrus, DG）超微结构；采用Western blotting检测谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶4（glutathione peroxidase 4, GPx4）蛋白表达水平；采用硫代巴比妥酸（TBA）法检测丙二醛（malondialdehyde, MDA）水平；采用免疫组化检测血管内皮生长因子（vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF）蛋白表达光密度（optical density, OD）值。结果　光镜下可见感染组小鼠脑组织海马DG区细胞坏死，电镜下见感染组小鼠脑组织海马区出现胞质空泡化、核皱缩坏死、线粒体嵴断裂消融、自噬小体增加等超微结构变化。与对照组相比，感染组小鼠脑组织中铁元素水平上调[（32.92 ± 0.90） µg/g vs.（37.72 ± 1.10） µg/g；t = 3.397, P < 0.01]；RNA芯片检测感染组小鼠脑组织发现721个基因上调、276个基因下调，差异表达基因在金属离子结合能力上有明显富集。与对照组相比，感染组小鼠脑组织金属元素转运体ZIP2 mRNA表达水平上调（t = 8.659，P < 0.05）、GPx4表达下降[（1.046 ± 0.025） vs. （0.720 ± 0.101）；t = 3.129，P < 0.01]）、MDA水平升高[（4.37 ± 0.33） nmol/mgprot vs.（5.93 ± 0.54） nmol/mgprot；t = 2.451，P < 0.05）]、VEGF蛋白平均OD值上调[（0.348 3 ± 0.017 8） vs. （0.490 6 ± 0.010 5）；t = 6.641，P < 0.01]。结论　Chinese 1优势基因型弓形虫感染后，小鼠脑组织中铁元素蓄积、抗氧化能力下调、氧化应激水平升高，提示弓形虫感染可影响宿主脑组织铁代谢而导致脑损伤。     

Secondary Qualitative Analysis of Moral Injury in Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses

ObjectiveTo investigate the presence of symptoms of moral injury in obstetric and neonatal nurses.DesignA secondary qualitative analysis using an analytic expansion of three primary studies.SettingPostal mail and electronic surveys.ParticipantsI used three primary studies: participants in the first consisted of 78 labor and delivery nurses, participants in the second consisted of 75 nurse-midwives, and participants in the third consisted of 22 NICU nurses.MethodsI used Krippendorff’s content analysis method for qualitative data to reanalyze the three primary data sets. The categories I used in this analysis were the 10 symptoms of moral injury that are assessed by the Moral Injury Symptoms Scale–Health Professionals Version.ResultsWhen combining the three types of obstetric and neonatal participants, the top three most frequently cited symptoms of moral injury were moral concern, guilt, and self-condemnation. For participants in labor and delivery units and NICUs, moral concern was the most often described symptom, whereas for participants in midwifery it was guilt. None of the participants reported loss of meaning in their lives, loss of faith, or religious struggle. Participants who worked in NICUs did not describe any symptoms of shame or difficulty forgiving.ConclusionIn addition to the primary symptoms of moral injury, reported secondary consequences of moral injury can include depression, anxiety, anger, self-harm, and social problems. Interventions such as acceptance and commitment therapy are needed to help nurses address the potential for moral injury and repair its effects. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever, moral injury needs to be recognized in obstetric and neonatal nurses and not just in the military population.     

Metabolism of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by Streptomyces griseolus CYP105A1 and its variants

In the field of drug development, technology for producing human metabolites at a low cost is required. In this study, we explored the possibility of using prokaryotic water-soluble cytochrome P450 (CYP) to produce human metabolites. Streptomyces griseolus CYP105A1 metabolizes various non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including diclofenac, mefenamic acid, flufenamic acid, tolfenamic acid, meclofenamic acid, and ibuprofen. CYP105A1 showed 4′-hydroxylation activity towards diclofenac, mefenamic acid, flufenamic acid, tolfenamic acid, and meclofenamic acid. It should be noted that this reaction specificity was similar to that of human CYP2C9. In the case of mefenamic acid, another metabolite, 3′-hydroxymethyl mefenamic acid, was detected as a major metabolite. Substitution of Arg at position 73 with Ala in CYP105A1 dramatically reduced the hydroxylation activity toward diclofenac, flufenamic acid, and ibuprofen, indicating that Arg73 is essential for the hydroxylation of these substrates. In contrast, substitution of Arg84 with Ala remarkably increased the hydroxylation activity towards diclofenac, mefenamic acid, and flufenamic acid. Recombinant Rhodococcus erythrocyte cells expressing the CYP105A1 variant R84A/M239A showed complete conversion of diclofenac into 4′-hydroxydiclofenac. These results suggest the usefulness of recombinant R. erythropolis cells expressing actinomycete CYP, such as CYP105A1, for the production of human drug metabolites.     

ArgD of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a functional N-acetylornithine aminotransferase with moonlighting function as an effective immune modulator

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) encodes an essential enzyme acetyl ornithine aminotransferase ArgD (Rv1655) of arginine biosynthetic pathway which plays crucial role in M. tuberculosis growth and survival. ArgD catalyzes the reversible conversion of N-acetylornithine and 2 oxoglutarate into glutamate-5-semialdehyde and L-glutamate. It also possesses succinyl diaminopimelate aminotransferase activity and can thus carry out the corresponding step in lysine biosynthesis. These essential roles played by ArgD in amino acid biosynthetic pathways highlight it as an important metabolic chokepoint thus an important drug target. We showed that M. tuberculosis ArgD rescues the growth of ΔargD E. coli grown in minimal media validating its functional importance. Phylogenetic analysis of M. tuberculosis ArgD showed homology with proteins in gram positive bacteria, pathogenic and non-pathogenic mycobacteria suggesting the essentiality of this protein. ArgD is a secretory protein that could be utilized by M. tuberculosis to modulate host innate immunity as its moonlighting function. In-silico analysis predicted it to be a highly antigenic protein. The recombinant ArgD protein when exposed to macrophage cells induced enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF, IL6 and IL12 in a dose dependent manner. ArgD also induced the increased production of innate immune effector molecule NOS2 and NO in macrophages. We also demonstrated ArgD mediated activation of the canonical NFkB pathway. Notably, we also show that ArgD is a specific TLR4 agonist involved in the activation of pro-inflammatory signaling for sustained production of effector cytokines. Intriguingly, ArgD protein treatment activated macrophages to acquire the M1 phenotype through the increased surface expression of MHCII and costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86. ArgD induced robust B-cell response in immunized mice, validating its antigenicity potential as predicted by the in-silico analysis. These properties of M. tuberculosis ArgD signify its functional plasticity that could be exploited as a possible drug target to combat tuberculosis.     

Chronic acidosis rewires cancer cell metabolism through PPARα signaling

The mechanisms linking tumor microenvironment acidosis to disease progression are not understood. Here, we used mammary, pancreatic, and colon cancer cells to show that adaptation to growth at an extracellular pH (pH_e) mimicking acidic tumor niches is associated with upregulated net acid extrusion capacity and elevated intracellular pH at physiological pH_e, but not at acidic pH_e. Using metabolic profiling, shotgun lipidomics, imaging and biochemical analyses, we show that the acid adaptation-induced phenotype is characterized by a shift toward oxidative metabolism, increased lipid droplet-, triacylglycerol-, peroxisome content and mitochondrial hyperfusion. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARA, PPARα) expression and activity are upregulated, at least in part by increased fatty acid uptake. PPARα upregulates genes driving increased mitochondrial and peroxisomal mass and β-oxidation capacity, including mitochondrial lipid import proteins CPT1A, CPT2 and SLC25A20, electron transport chain components, peroxisomal proteins PEX11A and ACOX1, and thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), a negative regulator of glycolysis. This endows acid-adapted cancer cells with increased capacity for utilizing fatty acids for metabolic needs, while limiting glycolysis. As a consequence, the acid-adapted cells exhibit increased sensitivity to PPARα inhibition. We conclude that PPARα is a key upstream regulator of metabolic changes favoring cancer cell survival in acidic tumor niches.     

补中益气汤对于肝再生线粒体能量代谢的研究概况＊

肝再生的机制非常复杂，线粒体功能障碍所引起的能量供给不足是影响因素之一，但其机理亟待研究。严重肝损害时肝细胞ATP供应减少、线粒体能量代谢异常，导致肝再生受到抑制。补中益气汤为李东垣所创，其具补中益气、升阳举陷之功，有实验证实补中益气汤具有保护线粒体功能、增加线粒体能量代谢的作用，从而促进肝再生。本文综述补中益气汤总方与其中各类中药对线粒体能量代谢的保护作用，从而为促进肝再生提供新的治疗手段并对改善病人预后有重要意义。     

健脾益肝方对非酒精性脂肪性肝病患者脂肪分布及脂代谢的影响

目的:探讨健脾益肝方对非酒精性脂肪性肝病(NAFLD)患者脂肪分布及脂代谢的影响。方法:将80例NAFLD患者随机分为对照组和治疗组各40例。两组患者均在多学科联合管理下给予个体化的饮食、运动等生活方式指导,治疗组患者在此基础上加用健脾益肝方,疗程均为3个月。通过生物电阻抗技术测量患者治疗前后脂肪质量及分布,定期监测肝肾功能、血脂指标。比较两组患者肥胖、脂肪分布、血脂指标变化。结果:治疗组患者有效率为97.5%,明显高于对照组的82.5%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);治疗组患者BMI、BFP、WHR、TC、TG及LDL-C水平明显低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(均P<0.05);治疗组患者躯干及内脏脂肪沉积改善明显优于对照组,差异有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。结论:生活方式干预联合健脾益肝方治疗NAFLD患者能显著改善患者的肥胖及脂代谢紊乱,并且与躯干和内脏脂肪质量的下降密切相关。     

深部热疗配合输卵管通水术治疗继发性不孕症的疗效研究

目的:探析对继发性不孕症患者行以深部热疗配合输卵管通水术治疗的疗效。方法:于2018年1月~2019年1月择取某院收治的40例继发性不孕症患者,按照数字奇偶法将其分成对照组和研究组,对照组20例患者予以输卵管通水术治疗,研究组20例患者予以输卵管通水术配合深部热疗治疗,对照分析两组临床效果。结果:从临床总有效率上来看,研究组高于对照组(P<0.05);治疗前两组TNF-α、IL-6对比无统计学差异,治疗后研究组TNF-α、IL-6均优于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:对继发性不孕症患者来说,深部热疗配合输卵管通水术治疗的效果显著。     

植物-土壤反馈对刺五加幼苗次生代谢产物的影响

目的:研究植物-土壤反馈对刺五加幼苗根、茎、叶次生代谢产物的影响。方法:通过温室盆栽试验,分别对未种植过刺五加的土壤(1组),连续3年种植刺五加的土壤(2组)和多年种植刺五加的土壤(3组),分别种植刺五加1年生幼苗,并对其根、茎、叶的次生代谢产物进行分析。结果:L-苯丙氨酸,原儿茶酸,刺五加苷B,绿原酸,咖啡酸,刺五加苷E,异嗪皮啶,芦丁,金丝桃苷,槲皮素在多年生长刺五加土壤种植,对刺五加幼苗叶和根均有显著性差异,但在茎中绿原酸和刺五加苷E无显著性差异。其中刺五加苷E,异嗪皮啶,芦丁和金丝桃苷在多年生刺五加土壤种植的幼苗叶中未检出。在刺五加幼苗的根中,多数次生代谢产物呈现正反馈;在刺五加幼苗的茎中,咖啡酸,刺五加苷E,金丝桃苷,槲皮素呈现负反馈;在刺五加幼苗的叶中多数次生代谢产物呈现正反馈。结论:植物和土壤在刺五加幼苗生长过程不同部位呈现出不同的反馈情况,整体而言,未种植过刺五加的土壤对刺五加幼苗的次生代谢产物更具优势。研究结果为阐述植物-土壤反馈对刺五加的影响提供研究基础,并为人工栽培刺五加提供了理论依据和技术支持。