Electroacupuncture Improves Gastric Emptying in Critically Ill Neurosurgical Patients: A Pilot Study

Objective. To compare the efficacy of combined electroacupuncture and metoclopramide treatment with that of metoclopramide only in improving gastric emptying in critically ill neurosurgical patients. Methods. In this prospective case-control pilot study, a total of 16 adult critically ill mechanically ventilated patients who were treated in the surgical intensive care unit were enrolled. Electrical stimulation was applied to 4 pairs of points (maximum intensity < 9.8 mA at 2 Hz). Patients in the control group received standard treatment with intravenous metoclopramide only. Patients in the experimental group received intravenous metoclopramide plus electroacupuncture treatment once daily for 6 consecutive days. Results. Gastric residual volume in the experimental group (n=7) reduced gradually until the fourth day after treatment with electroacupuncture combined with routine metoclopramide administration. Beginning on the fourth day, residual volume was maintained at less than 200 ml per day for the following two days. In the control group (n=9), there was a gradual reduction in residual volume during the first four days followed by a rebounding increase over the next two days. Conclusions. Electroacupuncture combined with intravenous metoclopramide is a more effective treatment for gastric emptying than metoclopramide alone in adult critically ill patients with impaired brain function

Photoresponse of polyaniline-functionalized graphene quantum dots

Polyaniline-functionalized graphene quantum dots (PANI-GQD) and pristine graphene quantum dots (GQDs) were utilized for optoelectronic devices. The PANI-GQD based photodetector exhibited higher responsivity which is about an order of magnitude at 405 nm and 7 folds at 532 nm as compared to GQD-based photodetectors. The improved photoresponse is attributed to the enhanced interconnection of GQD by island-like polymer matrices, which facilitate carrier transport within the polymer matrices. The optically tunable current–voltage (I–V) hysteresis of PANI-GQD was also demonstrated. The hysteresis magnifies progressively with light intensity at a scan range of ±1 V. Both GQD and PANI-GQD devices change from positive to negative photocurrent when the bias reaches 4 V. Photogenerated carriers are excited to the trapping states in GQDs with increased bias. The trapped charges interact with charges injected from the electrodes which results in a net decrease of free charge carriers and a negative photocurrent. The photocurrent switching phenomenon in GQD and PANI-GQD devices may open up novel applications in optoelectronics

Tip60-mediated lipin 1 acetylation and ER translocation determine triacylglycerol synthesis rate

人类遗传学家James V. Neel在1962年首次提出了“节俭基因”这一概念，认为现今人类导致包括肥胖症、糖尿病和高血压等代谢障碍的基因是因为生理系统为了适应远古环境食物富足和食物缺乏的周期性改变而筛选出的，可以让远古人类在食物富足的短暂时期中快速增肥，以应对随时将到来的食物缺乏时期。这类基因在当时环境下有很大的优越性，但对于当今食物富足的社会则截然相反。这篇论文中林圣彩教授团队揭示了乙酰转移酶TIP60通过乙酰化脂肪合成途径的代谢酶lipin 1并促进其向内质网转运，从而提高脂肪合成速率，揭示了TIP60作为一个“节俭基因”的功能和作用机制。该研究阐明了脂肪合成途径中首个受蛋白质乙酰化修饰调控的途径，揭示了TIP60作为经典转录调控因子之外的又一重要生物学功能，为开发防治肥胖症及其相关代谢紊乱疾病提供了新的药物作用靶点。博士后李阳、博士生宋林涛和硕士生孙玉是该论文的共同第一作者。【Abstract】Obesity is characterized by excessive fatty acid conversion to triacylglycerols (TAGs) in adipose tissues. However, how signaling networks sense fatty acids and connect to the stimulation of lipid synthesis remains elusive. Here, we show that homozygous knock-in mice carrying a point mutation at the Ser86 phosphorylation site of acetyltransferase Tip60 (Tip60SA/SA) display remarkably reduced body fat mass, and Tip60SA/SA females fail to nurture pups to adulthood due to severely reduced milk TAGs. Mechanistically, fatty acids stimulate Tip60-dependent acetylation and endoplasmic reticulum translocation of phosphatidic acid phosphatase lipin 1 to generate diacylglycerol for TAG synthesis, which is repressed by deacetylase Sirt1. Inhibition of Tip60 activity strongly blocks fatty acid-induced TAG synthesis while Sirt1 suppression leads to increased adiposity. Genetic analysis of loss-of-function mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a requirement of ESA1, yeast ortholog of Tip60, in TAG accumulation. These findings uncover a conserved mechanism linking fatty acid sensing to fat synthesis.This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (#31690101, #31430094, #31600961 and #31571214) and National Key Research and Development Project of China (2016YFA0502001). 该研究受到了国家自然科学基金和中国国家重点研发计划项目的资助

The bracteatus pineapple genome and domestication of clonally propagated crops

Domestication of clonally propagated crops such as pineapple from South America was hypothesized to be a 'one-step operation'. We sequenced the genome of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus CB5 and assembled 513 Mb into 25 chromosomes with 29,412 genes. Comparison of the genomes of CB5, F153 and MD2 elucidated the genomic basis of fiber production, color formation, sugar accumulation and fruit maturation. We also resequenced 89 Ananas genomes. Cultivars 'Smooth Cayenne' and 'Queen' exhibited ancient and recent admixture, while 'Singapore Spanish' supported a one-step operation of domestication. We identified 25 selective sweeps, including a strong sweep containing a pair of tandemly duplicated bromelain inhibitors. Four candidate genes for self-incompatibility were linked in F153, but were not functional in self-compatible CB5. Our findings support the coexistence of sexual recombination and a one-step operation in the domestication of clonally propagated crops. This work guides the exploration of sexual and asexual domestication trajectories in other clonally propagated crops

Spironolactone Lowers Portal Hypertension by Inhibiting Liver Fibrosis, ROCK-2 Activity and Activating NO/PKG Pathway in the Bile-Duct-Ligated Rat

OBJECTIVE: Aldosterone, one of the main peptides in renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS), has been suggested to mediate liver fibrosis and portal hypertension. Spironolactone, an aldosterone antagonist, has beneficial effect on hyperdynamic circulation in clinical practice. However, the mechanisms remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of spionolactone on liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. METHODS: Liver cirrhosis was induced by bile duct ligation (BDL). Spironolactone was administered orally (20 mg/kg/d) after bile duct ligation was performed. Liver fibrosis was assessed by histology, Masson's trichrome staining, and the measurement of hydroxyproline and type I collagen content. The activation of HSC was determined by analysis of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression. Protein expressions and protein phosphorylation were determined by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis, Messenger RNA levels by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR). Portal pressure and intrahepatic resistance were examined in vivo. RESULTS: Treatment with spironolactone significantly lowered portal pressure. This was associated with attenuation of liver fibrosis, intrahepatic resistance and inhibition of HSC activation. In BDL rat liver, spironolactone suppressed up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα and IL-6). Additionally, spironolactone significantly decreased ROCK-2 activity without affecting expression of RhoA and Ras. Moreover, spironolactone markedly increased the levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), phosphorylated eNOS and the activity of NO effector-protein kinase G (PKG) in the liver. CONCLUSION: Spironolactone lowers portal hypertension by improvement of liver fibrosis and inhibition of intrahepatic vasoconstriction via down-regulating ROCK-2 activity and activating NO/PKG pathway. Thus, early spironolactone therapy might be the optional therapy in cirrhosis and portal hypertension

NADPH Oxidase 2-Derived Reactive Oxygen Species Mediate FFAs-Induced Dysfunction and Apoptosis of β-Cells via JNK, p38 MAPK and p53 Pathways

Dysfunction of β-cell is one of major characteristics in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The combination of obesity and type 2 diabetes, characterized as ‘diabesity’, is associated with elevated plasma free fatty acids (FFAs). Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of FFA-induced β-cell dysfunction. However, molecular mechanisms linking between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and FFA-induced β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis are less clear. In the present study, we test the hypothesis that NOX2-derived ROS may play a critical role in dysfunction and apoptosis of β-cells induced by FFA. Our results show that palmitate and oleate (0.5 mmol/L, 48 h) induced JNK activation and AKT inhibition which resulted in decreased phosphorylation of FOXO1 following nuclear localization and the nucleocytoplasmic translocation of PDX-1, leading to the reducing of insulin and ultimately dysfunction of pancreatic NIT-1 cells. We also found that palmitate and oleate stimulated apoptosis of NIT-1 cells through p38MAPK, p53 and NF-κB pathway. More interestingly, our data suggest that suppression of NOX2 may restore FFA-induced dysfunction and apoptosis of NIT-1 cells. Our findings provide a new insight of the NOX2 as a potential new therapeutic target for preservation of β-cell mass and function

Women with endometriosis have higher comorbidities: Analysis of domestic data in Taiwan

AbstractEndometriosis, defined by the presence of viable extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma, can grow or bleed cyclically, and possesses characteristics including a destructive, invasive, and metastatic nature. Since endometriosis may result in pelvic inflammation, adhesion, chronic pain, and infertility, and can progress to biologically malignant tumors, it is a long-term major health issue in women of reproductive age. In this review, we analyze the Taiwan domestic research addressing associations between endometriosis and other diseases. Concerning malignant tumors, we identified four studies on the links between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, one on breast cancer, two on endometrial cancer, one on colorectal cancer, and one on other malignancies, as well as one on associations between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome, one on links with migraine headache, three on links with pelvic inflammatory diseases, four on links with infertility, four on links with obesity, four on links with chronic liver disease, four on links with rheumatoid arthritis, four on links with chronic renal disease, five on links with diabetes mellitus, and five on links with cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.). The data available to date support that women with endometriosis might be at risk of some chronic illnesses and certain malignancies, although we consider the evidence for some comorbidities to be of low quality, for example, the association between colon cancer and adenomyosis/endometriosis. We still believe that the risk of comorbidity might be higher in women with endometriosis than that we supposed before. More research is needed to determine whether women with endometriosis are really at risk of these comorbidities