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Biomedical subjects

Hai Li

Publications and source records attributed to Hai Li.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Chromosome-level genome assembly of an Arctic fish species pale eelpout (Lycodes pallidus).

Eelpouts (Zoarcidae) are known for their bipolar distributions and distinctive biogeographic histories. However, limited genomic data have hindered our understanding of their adaptive evolution. In this study, we present a thoroughly annotated chromosome-level genome assembly of pale eelpout (Lycodes pallidus) generated through the integration of Illumina, PacBio circular consensus, and Hi-C sequencing techniques. The final assembly spans 753.4 Mb, with its high quality confirmed by a scaffold N50 of 28.6 Mb and a Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO) completeness of 99.3%. In comparison to other eelpouts and related fishes, the L. pallidus genome is larger and exhibits greater repetitive element content, accounting for approximately 45% of its total length. We annotated 21,419 protein-coding genes, a significant proportion of which are involved in signal transduction mechanisms and transcription. These findings provide valuable genetic resources for elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms underlying polar fish adaptation.

Animals↗

The medicinal plant goldenseal is a natural LDL-lowering agent with multiple bioactive components and new action mechanisms.

Our previous studies have identified berberine (BBR), an alkaloid isolated from the Chinese herb huanglian, as a unique cholesterol-lowering drug that upregulates hepatic low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) expression through a mechanism of mRNA stabilization. Here, we demonstrate that the root extract of goldenseal, a BBR-containing medicinal plant, is highly effective in upregulation of liver LDLR expression in HepG2 cells and in reducing plasma cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in hyperlipidemic hamsters, with greater activities than the pure compound BBR. By conducting bioassay-driven semipurifications, we demonstrate that the higher potency of goldenseal is achieved through concerted actions of multiple bioactive compounds in addition to BBR. We identify canadine (CND) and two other constituents of goldenseal as new upregulators of LDLR expression. We further show that the activity of BBR on LDLR expression is attenuated by multiple drug resistance-1 (MDR1)-mediated efflux from liver cells, whereas CND is resistant to MDR1. This finding defines a molecular mechanism for the higher activity of CND than BBR. We also provide substantial evidence to show that goldenseal contains natural MDR1 antagonist(s) that accentuate the upregulatory effect of BBR on LDLR mRNA expression. These new findings identify goldenseal as a natural LDL-c-lowering agent, and our studies provide a molecular basis for the mechanisms of action.

Animals↗

Structure and total synthesis of aspernigerin: a novel cytotoxic endophyte metabolite.

Aspernigerin (1), a novel cytotoxic alkaloid consisting of an unprecedented structural framework has been isolated from the extract of a culture of Aspergillus niger IFB-E003, an endophyte in Cyndon dactylon. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of comprehensive NMR spectral analysis and confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Aspernigerin (1) has been shown to be cytotoxic to the tumor cell lines nasopharynyeal epidermoid KB, cervical carcinoma Hela, and colorectal carcinoma SW1116 with corresponding IC(50) values of 22, 46, and 35 microM, respectively. A feasible total synthetic route for aspernigerin (1) has been established for further pharmacological research.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

[Correlative analysis between serum dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, activity, concentration of 5-fluorouracil and adverse events in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer patients].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Toxicities and their severities vary among advanced gastric cancer patients when they receive the same regimen containing continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is the key rate-limiting enzymes which is closely related to toxicities of 5-FU in chemotherapy. This study was to explore the relationship between activity of DPD and concentration of 5-FU, and their correlation to adverse events among advanced gastric cancer patients treated with the same regimen containing 5-FU continuous infusion. METHODS: Patients received the same regimen (intravenous injection of paclitaxel 75 mg/m(2), leucovorin 200 mg/m(2) and 5-FU 375 mg/m(2), continuous infusion of 5-FU 2.5 g/m2 for 46 hours every two weeks). The peripheral blood was collected from 36 patients with advanced gastric cancer before and after chemotherapy to detect the activity of DPD and concentration of 5-FU by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Adverse events were assessed every cycle. RESULTS: Serum activity of DPD revealed a unimodel distribution, which globally fits to a guassian distribution (range 1.56-6.01). Mean and median DPD activity values were 2.38 and 2.13, respectively. No total DPD deficiency was found in the patients. The concentration of 5-FU varied from 179.2 microg/L to 1 589.2 microg/L, which demonstrated normality distribution after a logarithmic transformation was applied. The DPD activity was inversely correlated with 5-FU concentration (r=-0.376, P=0.024). The patients with low activity of DPD were more frequently suffering from severe diarrhea, mucositis, and myelosuppression. And high level of 5-FU concentration led to the increase of adverse events. CONCLUSION: Pre-chemotherapy DPD activity and 5-FU concentration during chemotherapy vary among gastric cancer patients, which may help to prevent severe toxicities during the treatment.

Adult↗

Histone acetylation by Trrap-Tip60 modulates loading of repair proteins and repair of DNA double-strand breaks.

DNA is packaged into chromatin, a highly compacted DNA-protein complex; therefore, all cellular processes that use the DNA as a template, including DNA repair, require a high degree of coordination between the DNA-repair machinery and chromatin modification/remodelling, which regulates the accessibility of DNA in chromatin. Recent studies have implicated histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes and chromatin acetylation in DNA repair; however, the precise underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the HAT cofactor Trrap and Tip60 HAT bind to the chromatin surrounding sites of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in vivo. Trrap depletion impairs both DNA-damage-induced histone H4 hyperacetylation and accumulation of repair molecules at sites of DSBs, resulting in defective homologous recombination (HR) repair, albeit with the presence of a functional ATM-dependent DNA-damage signalling cascade. Importantly, the impaired loading of repair proteins and the defect in DNA repair in Trrap-deficient cells can be counteracted by chromatin relaxation, indicating that the DNA-repair defect that was observed in the absence of Trrap is due to impeded chromatin accessibility at sites of DNA breaks. Thus, these data reveal that cells may use the same basic mechanism involving HAT complexes to regulate distinct cellular processes, such as transcription and DNA repair.

Acetylation↗

Association between DNA variant sites in the apolipoprotein A5 gene and coronary heart disease in Chinese.

The recently discovered apolipoprotein A5 ( APOA5 ) gene has been shown to be important in determining plasma triglyceride levels, a major cardiovascular disease risk factor. We searched for possible associations of the APOA5 gene polymorphisms S19W and -1131T>C with coronary heart disease (CHD) in a Chinese population. A total of 483 Chinese CHD patients and 502 control non-CHD subjects were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism for these 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms. We found that the minor allele 19W was observed only in CHD patients and not in controls, with allelic frequencies of 0.047 and 0.000, respectively ( P < .000001), and the minor allele -1131C was significantly higher in CHD patients than in controls (0.391 vs 0.299, P < .0001). These results suggest that both the S19W and -1131T>C variations in the APOA5 gene are associated with the CHD and appear to be 2 genetic risk factors for CHD susceptibility in Chinese. Moreover, we found that triglyceride levels were significantly higher in -1131C carriers than in -1131T subjects of the control group and that high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol was decreased in -1131C carriers among CHD patients.

Apolipoprotein A-V↗

FXR-activating ligands inhibit rabbit ASBT expression via FXR-SHP-FTF cascade.

The regulation of the rabbit apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) was studied both in vivo and in vitro. New Zealand White rabbits were fed 0.5% deoxycholic acid (DCA) or SC-435, a competitive ASBT inhibitor, for 1 wk. In DCA-fed rabbits, ASBT expression was repressed, associated with activated FXR, and evidenced by increased ileal short heterodimer partner (SHP) mRNA. Feeding SC-435 to the rabbits blocked bile acid absorption, decreased SHP mRNA, and increased ASBT expression. A 1.9-kb rabbit ASBT 5'-flanking region (promoter) was cloned, and a cis-acting element for alpha-fetoprotein transcription factor (FTF) was identified (-1166/-1158). The effects of transcriptional factors and different bile acids on the rabbit ASBT promoter were studied in Caco-2 cells. FTF stimulated the rabbit ASBT promoter activity fourfold but not after the FTF binding site was deleted from the promoter. Increasing the SHP protein notably inhibited FTF-dependent trans-activation of rabbit ASBT. Adding hydrophobic bile acids deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and cholic acid, activating ligands for FXR, inhibited rabbit ASBT promoter activity in Caco-2 cells, but this inhibitory effect was abolished after the FTF binding site was deleted. Ursodeoxycholic acid and ursocholic acid, nonactivating ligands for FXR, did not repress ASBT promoter activity. Thus the rabbit ASBT promoter is negative-feedback regulated by bile acids via a functional FTF binding site. Only FXR-activating ligands can downregulate rabbit ASBT expression through the regulatory cascade FXR-SHP-FTF.

Animals↗

HAT cofactor Trrap regulates the mitotic checkpoint by modulation of Mad1 and Mad2 expression.

As a component of chromatin-modifying complexes with histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity, TRRAP has been shown to be involved in various cellular processes including gene transcription and oncogenic transformation. Inactivation of Trrap, the murine ortholog of TRRAP, in mice revealed its function in development and cell cycle progression. However, the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, we show that the loss of Trrap in mammalian cells leads to chromosome missegregation, mitotic exit failure and compromised mitotic checkpoint. These mitotic checkpoint defects are caused by defective Trrap-mediated transcription of the mitotic checkpoint proteins Mad1 and Mad2. The mode of regulation by Trrap involves acetylation of histones H4 and H3 at the gene promoter of these mitotic players. Trrap associated with the HAT Tip60 and PCAF at the Mad1 and Mad2 promoters in a cell cycle-dependent manner and Trrap depletion abolished recruitment of these HATs. Finally, ectopic expression of Mad1 and Mad2 fully restores the mitotic checkpoint in Trrap-deficient cells. These results demonstrate that Trrap controls the mitotic checkpoint integrity by specifically regulating Mad1 and Mad2 genes.

Acetylation↗

Possible association between Cys311Ser polymorphism of paraoxonase 2 gene and late-onset Alzheimer's disease in Chinese.

The common polymorphism at codon 311 (C311S) of paraoxonase 2 gene (PON2) was investigated in 165 patients with sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and 174 controls in Chinese. The PON2*C allele frequency was significantly increased in the patients as compared with controls. However, no significant difference was observed after stratification of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon4 allele. These results suggested that the PON2 polymorphism might be a risk factor for LOAD independent of ApoE epsilon4 status in Chinese.

Aged↗

8302A/C and (TTA)n polymorphisms in the HMG-CoA reductase gene may be associated with some plasma lipid metabolic phenotypes in patients with coronary heart disease.

HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) is a rate-limiting enzyme that participates in cholesterol metabolism. Here we analyzed the 8302A/C and the (TTA)n polymorphisms in the HMGCR gene in 169 Chinese patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 161 age-matched controls. Results indicated that the levels of plasma VLDL and TG in patients with the AA genotype of the 8302A/C locus were significantly higher than in patients with other genotypes (P < 0.05). In addition, the frequency of allele A4 of the (TTA)n locus was higher (P < 0.05) and the frequency of allele A5 was lower (P = 0.002) in CHD patients than in the controls. This suggests that both polymorphisms in the HMGCR gene may be associated with lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities in CHD in the Chinese.

Asian People↗

Convergence of signaling pathways in the control of differential cell growth in Arabidopsis.

Seedling apical hook development involves a complex interplay of hormones and light in the regulation of differential cell growth. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that integrate these diverse signals to control bending of the embryonic stem are poorly understood. The Arabidopsis ethylene-regulated HOOKLESS1 (HLS1) gene is essential for apical hook formation. Herein, we identify two auxin response regulators that act downstream of HLS1 to control cell elongation in the hypocotyl. Extragenic suppressors of hls1 were identified as mutations in AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 2 (ARF2). The level of ARF2 protein was decreased by ethylene, and this response required HLS1. Exposure to light decreased HLS1 protein levels and evoked a concomitant increase in ARF2 accumulation. These studies demonstrate that both ethylene and light signals affect differential cell growth by acting through HLS1 to modulate the auxin response factors, pinpointing HLS1 as a key integrator of the signaling pathways that control hypocotyl bending.

ADP-Ribosylation Factors↗

Inhibition of ileal bile acid transport lowers plasma cholesterol levels by inactivating hepatic farnesoid X receptor and stimulating cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase.

We investigated the effect of SC-435, a competitive inhibitor of ileal apical sodium-dependent bile acid cotransporter (ASBT) on ileal bile acid absorption and the hepatic nuclear receptor FXR (farnesoid X receptor), which regulates cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) activity and mRNA levels. Eighteen New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were divided into 2 groups: controls (n = 10) and fed SC-435 125 mg/kg/d for 1 week (n = 8). In rabbits treated with SC-435, fecal bile acid outputs increased by more than 8 times, reflecting substantial bile acid malabsorption. Plasma cholesterol levels decreased 26%, while bile acid pool sizes and biliary bile acid outputs did not change after treatment. CYP7A1 activity increased 64% and mRNA rose by 4 times after treatment. The expression of FXR target genes in the liver, short heterodimer partner (SHP) and bile salt export pump (BSEP), decreased 11.6 and 2.6 times, respectively, after treatment, which indicates inactivation of hepatic FXR. However, the mRNA levels of ileal bile acid binding protein (IBABP) did not change significantly, while ileal ASBT mRNA expression increased by 2.4 times after treatment. Rabbits treated with SC-435 developed ileal bile acid malabsorption, which decreased the return of bile acids (FXR ligands) to the liver to inactivate hepatic FXR, which upregulated CYP7A1 and lowered plasma cholesterol levels. Although fecal bile acid malabsorption was substantial, increased bile acid production from hepatic cholesterol kept biliary bile acid outputs intact. Thus, a new balance was reached in the liver, where increased bile acid synthesis compensated for diminished ileal bile acid absorption to maintain the circulating enterohepatic bile acid pool.

Animals↗

[Clinical observation on treatment of SARS with combination of chaihu droplet pill and huoxiang zhengqi droplet pill].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of combination treatment with Chaihu Droplet pill (CHDP) and Huoxiang Zhengqi Droplet pill (HZDP) in treating severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in early stage. METHODS: Twenty-two patients of SARS were randomly selected and paired according to such controlling factors as age, sex and profession into 11 couples. To them all symptomatic treatment was applied, combined CHDP and HZDP (CH-HZ) was given additionally to one of each couple randomly. The treatment was lasted for 13 days to investigate the changes of the clinical indexes such as creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydogenase (LDH) and serum sodium levels. RESULTS: Early applying of CH-HZ treatment showed good effects in improving CK, LDH, oxygenation index and absolute value of neutrophils, and could reduce the daily maximal dosage of glucocorticoid needed for SARS patients. CONCLUSION: Early application of CH-HZ treatment in treating SARS could alleviate the injury in lung of SARS patients and the neutrophil dependent inflammatory reaction, and reduce the dosage of glucocorticoid used.

Adult↗

Dietary cholesterol stimulates CYP7A1 in rats because farnesoid X receptor is not activated.

Cholesterol feeding upregulates CYP7A1 in rats but downregulates CYP7A1 in rabbits. To clarify the mechanism responsible for the upregulation of CYP7A1 in cholesterol-fed rats, the effects of dietary cholesterol (Ch) and cholic acid (CA) on the activation of the nuclear receptors, liver X-receptor (LXR-alpha) and farsenoid X-receptor (FXR), which positively and negatively regulate CYP7A1, were investigated in rats. Studies were carried out in four groups (n = 12/group) of male Sprague-Dawley rats fed regular chow (control), 2% Ch, 2% Ch + 1% CA, and 1% CA alone for 1 wk. Changes in mRNA expression of short heterodimer partner (SHP) and bile salt export pump (BSEP), target genes for FXR, were determined to indicate FXR activation, whereas the expression of ABCA1 and lipoprotein lipase (LPL), target genes for LXR-alpha, reflected activation. CYP7A1 mRNA and activity increased twofold and 70%, respectively, in rats fed Ch alone when the bile acid pool size was stable but decreased 43 and 49%, respectively, after CA was added to the Ch diet, which expanded the bile acid pool 3.4-fold. SHP and BSEP mRNA levels did not change after feeding Ch but increased 88 and 37% in rats fed Ch + CA. This indicated that FXR was activated by the expanded bile acid pool. When Ch or Ch + CA were fed, hepatic concentrations of oxysterols, ligands for LXR-alpha increased to activate LXR-alpha, as evidenced by increased mRNA levels of ABCA1 and LPL. Feeding CA alone enlarged the bile acid pool threefold and increased the expression of both SHP and BSEP. These results suggest that LXR-alpha was activated in rats fed both Ch or Ch + CA, whereas CYP7A1 mRNA and activity were induced only in Ch-fed rats where the bile acid pool was not enlarged such that FXR was not activated. In rats fed Ch + CA, the bile acid pool expanded, which activated FXR to offset the stimulatory effects of LXR-alpha on CYP7A1.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Genome-wide analysis of gene expression regulated by the HAT cofactor Trrap in conditional knockout cells.

Transactivation/transformation-domain associated protein (TRRAP) is a component of several multi-protein HAT complexes implicated in both transcriptional regulation and DNA repair. We recently identified Trrap, the murine ortholog of TRRAP, as an essential protein implicated in mitotic progression control, although its target genes are not known. In the present study, we analyzed the expression profiles of Trrap-responsive genes, using cDNA microarray in mitotic cells. From a panel of 17 664 transcript elements, we found that loss of Trrap leads to expression alteration of a large fraction of genes at mitotic stage. Functional classification of these genes indicates that Trrap influences a variety of cellular processes including cell cycle progression, cytoskeleton and cell adhesion, protein turnover, metabolism and signal transduction. The majority (71%) of differentially expressed genes was down-regulated in Trrap- deficient cells, whereas the rest were up-regulated, suggesting that Trrap may also play a role in transcriptional silencing. ChIP analysis revealed that Trrap might regulate gene expression by participating in acetylation of histone H4 and/or H3 depending on target genes and cell cycle stage. Our study indicates that Trrap regulates the expression of a wide range of genes in both quiescence and mitotic stages. Removal of the Trrap protein is associated with both increased and decreased gene expression.

Acetylation↗

FXR-mediated down-regulation of CYP7A1 dominates LXRalpha in long-term cholesterol-fed NZW rabbits.

We investigated how cholesterol feeding regulates cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) via the nuclear receptors farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and liver X receptor alpha (LXRalpha) in New Zealand white rabbits. After 1 day of 2% cholesterol feeding, when the bile acid pool size had not expanded, mRNA levels of the FXR target genes short-heterodimer partner (SHP) and sterol 12alpha-hydroxylase (CYP8B) were unchanged, indicating that FXR activation remained constant. In contrast, the mRNA levels of the LXRalpha target genes ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) increased 5-fold and 2.3-fold, respectively, associated with significant increases in hepatic concentrations of oxysterols. Activity and mRNA levels of CYP7A1 increased 2.4 times and 2.2 times, respectively. After 10 days of cholesterol feeding, the bile acid pool size increased nearly 2-fold. SHP mRNA levels increased 4.1-fold while CYP8B declined 64%. ABCA1 mRNA rose 8-fold and CETP mRNA remained elevated. Activity and mRNA of CYP7A1 decreased 60% and 90%, respectively. Feeding cholesterol for 1 day did not enlarge the ligand pool size or change FXR activation, while LXRalpha was activated highly secondary to increased hepatic oxysterols. As a result, CYP7A1 was up-regulated. After 10 days of cholesterol feeding, the bile acid (FXR ligand) pool size increased, which activated FXR and inhibited CYP7A1 despite continued activation of LXRalpha. Thus, in rabbits, when FXR and LXRalpha are activated simultaneously, the inhibitory effect of FXR overrides the stimulatory effect of LXRalpha to suppress CYP7A1 mRNA expression.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

[p33(ING1) gene expression and mutation in stomach cancer tissues and precarcinomatous tissues].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship of p33(ING1) gene expression and p33(ING1) exon-2 mutation to the pathogenesis, development and consequence of stomach cancer. METHODS: Envision immunohistochemical method was utilized to detect the p33(ING1) expression in 103 specimens of stomach cancer, 36 specimens of stomach mucosal atypical hyperplasia, and 32 specimens of normal stomach mucosa. PCR-SSCP was utilized to detect p33(ING1) exon-2 mutation in stomach cancer tissues. RESULTS: The p33(ING1) expression rate in stomach cancer was 54.4% (56/103), significantly lower than that in precarcinomatous tissues (94.4%, 34/36, P < 0.01) and that in normal tissues (100%, 32/32, P < 0.01). The p33(ING1) expression in stomach cancer was related to tumor growth, distant metastasis and tumor differentiation (all P < 0.05). p33(ING1) gene exon-2 mutation was detected in 3 cases of stomach cancer tissues (12%, 3/25), and not in other tissues by PCR-SSCP method. CONCLUSION: p33(ING1) low expression, and gene p33(ING1) exon-2 mutation may play an important role in the pathogenesis, development and consequence of stomach cancer.

Adult↗