Publications

Propofol is the most commonly used intravenous anesthetic worldwide. It can induce loss of consciousness prior to the occurrence of severe respiratory suppression, which is also a pharmacodynamic feature of all general anesthetics. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this natural phenomenon are controversial and highly related to patient safety.

Combined methylmalonic aciduria with homocystinuria (cblC type) is a rare disease caused by mutations in the MMACHC gene. MMACHC encodes an enzyme crucial for intracellular vitamin B12 metabolism, leading to the accumulation of toxic metabolites e.g. methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine (Hcy), and secondary disturbances in folate and one-carbon metabolism when not fully functional.

Systemic treatment with resiniferatoxin (RTX) induces small-fiber sensory neuropathy by damaging TRPV1-expressing primary sensory neurons and causes distinct thermal sensory impairment and tactile allodynia, which resemble the unique clinical features of postherpetic neuralgia. However, the synaptic plasticity associated with RTX-induced tactile allodynia remains unknown. In this study, we found that RTX-induced neuropathy is associated with α2δ-1 upregulation in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and increased physical interaction between α2δ-1 and GluN1 in the spinal cord synaptosomes.

Background Mechanisms underlying the progression of diabetic kidney disease to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are not fully understood. Methods We performed global micro-RNA (miRNA) analysis in plasma in two cohorts encompassing 375 individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes with late diabetic kidney disease and targeted proteomics analysis in plasma in four cohorts encompassing 746 individuals with late and early diabetic kidney disease. We examined structural lesions in kidney biopsies from the 105 individuals with early diabetic kidney disease.

The human neonatal cerebellum is one-fourth of its adult size yet contains the blueprint required to integrate environmental cues with developing motor, cognitive and emotional skills into adulthood. Although mature cerebellar neuroanatomy is well studied, understanding of its developmental origins is limited. In this study, we systematically mapped the molecular, cellular and spatial composition of human fetal cerebellum by combining laser capture microscopy and SPLiT-seq single-nucleus transcriptomics.

Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)-0129 has identified a low-risk group of patients with oropharynx cancer (OPC) who might benefit from therapeutic de-intensification. These risk groups have not yet been reproduced in an independent cohort treated heterogeneously. Therefore, the objective of this analysis was to validate the RPA risk groups and examine the prognostic impact of novel factors.Patients with OPC were enrolled in a prospective study at 3 academic medical centers from 2013 to 2018.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a degenerative disease of the outer retina, is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly. A hallmark of geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced type of nonneovascular AMD (dry AMD), is photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell death. Currently, there are no FDA-approved therapies for GA due to a lack of understanding of the disease-causing mechanisms. Increasing evidence suggests that chronic inflammation plays a predominant role in the pathogenesis of dry AMD.

Background. Myocardial infarction (MI) is cardiac tissue necrosis caused by acute and persistent ischemic hypoxia of the coronary arteries. This study is aimed at investigating the expression of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00261 in MI and its effect on myocardial cells. Methods. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression levels of LINC00261, miR-522-3p, and TNRC6A in normal and MI cells. Western blotting analysis was performed to detect the expression of TNRC6A protein. Viability and apoptosis of myocardial cells after MI with the knockout of LINC00261 or TNRC6A were detected.

Single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) allows spatial mapping of gene expression. This protocol presents advances in smFISH fidelity and flexibility in intact murine sensory nervous system tissue. An approach using RNAscope probes allows multiplexing, enhanced target specificity, and immunohistochemistry compatibility. Computational strategies increase quantification accuracy of mRNA puncta with a point spread function for clustered transcripts in the dorsal root ganglion and 3D masking for intermingled sciatic nerve cell types.

Lawsonia intracellularis is endemic to swine herds worldwide, however much is still unknown regarding its impact on intestinal function. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the impact of L. intracellularis on digestive function, and how vaccination mitigates these impacts. Thirty-six L. intracellularis negative barrows were assigned to treatment groups (n  =  12/trt): (1) nonvaccinated, L. intracellularis negative (NC); (2) nonvaccinated, L intracellularis challenged (PC); and (3) L.