| 1. |
- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(författare)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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Ingår i: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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| 2. |
- Zhang, Yinping, et al.
(författare)
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Ten cities cross-sectional questionnaire survey of children asthma and other allergies in China
- 2013
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Ingår i: Chinese Science Bulletin. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1001-6538 .- 1861-9541. ; 58:34, s. 4182-4189
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Asthma, rhinitis and eczema (allergic or non-allergic) have increased throughout the world during the last decades, especially among children. Changes in the indoor environment are suspected to be important causes. China has experienced a dramatic change in indoor environmental exposures during the past two decades. However, such changes and their associations with children's asthma and other health aspects have not been thoroughly studied. China, Children, Homes, Health (CCHH), Phase I, was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 48219 children 1-8 years old in 10 Chinese cities during 2010-2012. The questionnaire includes the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) core health questions and additional questions regarding housing, life habits and outdoor environment. In health analyses, children aged 3-6 years old were included. The prevalences of doctor diagnosed asthma varied from 1.7% to 9.8% (mean 6.8%), a large increase from 0.91% in 1999 and 1.50% in 2000. The prevalence of wheeze, rhinitis and atopic eczema (last 12 months) varied from 13.9% to 23.7%, 24.0% to 50.8% and 4.8% to 15.8%, respectively. Taiyuan had the lowest prevalences of all illnesses and Shanghai the highest, except for wheezewhere the highest value was for Urumqi. We found (1) no obvious association between disease prevalences and ambient PM10 concentrations and (2) higher prevalences of disease in humid climates with hot summers and cold winters, but with no centrally heated buildings. Associations between the diseases and economic status as indexed by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) requires further study.
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| 3. |
- Zhang, Mei, et al.
(författare)
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Discovery and Structural Modification of 1-Phenyl-3-(1-phenylethyl)urea Derivatives as Inhibitors of Complement
- 2012
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Ingår i: ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-5875. ; 3:4, s. 317-321
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A series of 1-phenyl-3-(1-phenylethyl)urea derivatives were identified as novel and potent complement inhibitors through structural modification of the original compound from high-throughput screening. Various analogues (7 and 13-15) were synthesized and identified as complement inhibitors, with the introduction of a five- or six-carbon chain (7c, 7d, 7k, 7I, and 7o) greatly improving their activity. Optimized compound 7I has an excellent inhibition activity with IC50 values as low as 13 nM. We demonstrated that the compound 7I inhibited C9 deposition through the classical, the lectin, and the alternative pathways but had no influence on C3 and C4 depositions.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Duan, Chen, et al.
(författare)
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Comparative analysis of gene expression profiles between primary knee osteoarthritis and an osteoarthritis endemic to Northwestern China, Kashin-Beck disease.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Arthritis and Rheumatism. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0004-3591 .- 1529-0131. ; 62:3, s. 771-780
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences in gene expression profiles of adult articular cartilage from patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) versus those with primary knee osteoarthritis (OA).METHODS: The messenger RNA expression profiles of articular cartilage from patients with KBD, diagnosed according to the clinical criteria for KBD in China, were compared with those of cartilage from patients with OA, diagnosed according to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index. Total RNA was isolated separately from 4 pairs of the KBD and OA cartilage samples, and the expression profiles were evaluated by Agilent 4x44k Whole Human Genome density oligonucleotide microarray analysis. The microarray data for selected transcripts were confirmed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification.RESULTS: For 1.2 x 10(4) transcripts, corresponding to 58.4% of the expressed transcripts, 2-fold changes in differential expression were revealed. Expression levels higher in KBD than in OA samples were observed in a mean + or - SD 6,439 + or - 1,041 (14.6 + or - 2.4%) of the transcripts, and expression levels were lower in KBD than in OA samples in 6,147 + or - 1,222 (14.2 + or - 2.8%) of the transcripts. After application of the selection criteria, 1.85% of the differentially expressed genes (P < 0.001 between groups) were detected. These included 233 genes, of which 195 (0.4%) were expressed at higher levels and 38 (0.08%) were expressed at lower levels in KBD than in OA cartilage. Comparisons of the quantitative RT-PCR data supported the validity of our microarray data.CONCLUSION: Differences between KBD and OA cartilage exhibited a similar pattern among all 4 of the pairs examined, indicating the presence of disease mechanisms, mainly chondrocyte matrix metabolism, cartilage degeneration, and apoptosis induction pathways, which contribute to cartilage destruction in KBD.
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| 6. |
- Tang, Ting-Ting, et al.
(författare)
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Impaired thymic export and apoptosis contribute to regulatory T-cell defects in patients with chronic heart failure.
- 2011
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203 .- 1932-6203. ; 6:9, s. e24272-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Animal studies suggest that regulatory T (T(reg)) cells play a beneficial role in ventricular remodeling and our previous data have demonstrated defects of T(reg) cells in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the mechanisms behind T(reg-)cell defects remained unknown. We here sought to elucidate the mechanism of T(reg-)cell defects in CHF patients.
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| 7. |
- Xing, Fangqian, et al.
(författare)
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Needle morphological evidence of the homoploid hybrid origin of Pinus densata based on analysis of artificial hybrids and the putative parents, Pinus tabuliformis and Pinus yunnanensis
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 4:10, s. 1890-1902
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genetic analyses indicate that Pinus densata is a natural homoploid hybrid originating from Pinus tabuliformis and Pinus yunnanensis. Needle morphological and anatomical features show relative species stability and can be used to identify coniferous species. Comparative analyses of these needle characteristics and phenotypic differences between the artificial hybrids, P.densata, and parental species can be used to determine the genetic and phenotypic evolutionary consequences of natural hybridization. Twelve artificial hybrid families, the two parental species, and P.densata were seeded in a high-altitude habitat in Linzhi, Tibet. The needles of artificial hybrids and the three pine species were collected, and 24 needle morphological and anatomical traits were analyzed. Based on these results, variations in 10 needle traits among artificial hybrid families and 22 traits among species and artificial hybrids were predicted and found to be under moderate genetic control. Nineteen needle traits in artificial hybrids were similar to those in P.densata and between the two parental species, P.tabuliformis and P.yunnanensis. The ratio of plants with three needle clusters in artificial hybrids was 22.92%, which was very similar to P.densata. The eight needle traits (needle length, the mean number of stomata in sections 2mm in length of the convex and flat sides of the needle, mean stomatal density, mesophyll/vascular bundle area ratio, mesophyll/resin canal area ratio, mesophyll/(resin canals and vascular bundles) area ratio, vascular bundle/resin canal area ratio) relative to physiological adaptability were similar to the artificial hybrids and P.densata. The similar needle features between the artificial hybrids and P.densata could be used to verify the homoploid hybrid origin of P.densata and helps to better understand of the hybridization roles in adaptation and speciation in plants.
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