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Li Ding

Publications and source records attributed to Li Ding.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Electron capture dissociation in a digital ion trap mass spectrometer.

Electron capture dissociation was implemented in a digital ion trap without using any magnetic field to focus the electrons. Since rectangular waveforms are employed in the DIT for both trapping and dipole excitation, electrons can be injected into the trap when the electric field is constant. Following deceleration, electrons reach the precursor ion cloud. The fragment ions produced by interactions with the electron beam are subsequently analyzed by resonant ejection. [Glu(1)]-Fibrinopeptide B and substance P were used to evaluate the performance of the current design. Fragmentation efficiency of 5.5% was observed for substance P peptide ions. Additionally, analysis of the monophosphorylated peptide FQ[pS]EEQQQTEDELQDK shows that in the resulting c- and z-type ions, the phosphate group is retained on the phophoserine residue, providing information on which amino acid residue the modification is located.

Electrons↗
PubMed2006

Competitive effects of natural organic matter: parametrization and verification of the three-component adsorption model COMPSORB.

Natural organic matter (NOM) hinders adsorption of trace organic compounds on powdered activated carbon (PAC) via two dominant mechanisms: direct site competition and pore blockage. COMPSORB, a three-component model that incorporates these two competitive mechanisms, was developed in a previous study to describe the removal of trace contaminants in continuous-flow hybrid PAC adsorption/membrane filtration systems. Synthetic solutions containing two model compounds as surrogates for NOM were used in the original study to elucidate competitive effects and to verify the model. In the present study, a quantitative method to characterize the components of NOM that are responsible for competitive adsorption effects in natural water was developed to extend the application of COMPSORB to natural water systems. Using batch adsorption data, NOM was differentiated into two fictive fractions, representing the strongly competing and pore blocking components, and each was treated as a single compound. The equilibrium and kinetic parameters for these fictive compounds were calculated using simplified adsorption models. This parametrization procedure was carried out on two different natural waters, and the model was verified with experimental data obtained for atrazine removal from natural water in a PAC/membrane system. The model predicted the system performance reasonably well and highlighted the importance of considering both direct site competition and pore blockage effects of NOM in modeling these systems.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2006

Rapid characterization of the sucrose esters from oriental tobacco using liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry.

Sucrose esters (SEs) from oriental tobacco are normally characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) after a long saponification and derivatization procedure. To simplify the process, a rapid method has been developed by using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MSn). Using the characteristic fragmentation behavior of abundant SEs identified by GC/MS after purification by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) from cuticular waxes of green oriental tobacco leaf, two types of SEs from green and cured oriental tobacco were identified by MSn analysis. The first is one of three types reported formerly and has 13 SE homologues. However, the presence of unsaturation in one of the acyl substituents of this first type gave rise to a new series with three homologues. The other was found to be a new type and had three homologues. The proposed method enables the rapid and sensitive characterization of SEs from oriental tobacco.

Arylsulfonates↗
PubMed2006

RNAi in embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells that can be isolated and grown in vitro from the inner cell mass of blastocysts. Their potential to differentiate into any cell of the body makes them a promising starting material for cell therapy. Much progress has been made in recent years to develop ES cell differentiation protocols employing cocktails of certain growth factors or by using cell-type-restricted promoters driving the expression of selection markers or fluorescent proteins. However, little is known about the molecular details underlying the earliest processes of mammalian development. Genetic tools that provide novel insight into these processes would be very helpful to gain a better molecular understanding and to design better differentiation protocols. Recently, RNAi has emerged as a powerful technology to perform loss-of-function studies in mammalian cells. This technology should be ideal to identify and study genes required for ES cell self-renewal and differentiation. Here, we review the recent advances and challenges of RNAi research in ES cells and we provide a perspective on possible applications to enhance our understanding of ES cell self-renewal and early differentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Decreased CD4+ lymphocytes and innate immune responses in adults with previous extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: CD4+ lymphocytes control Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection through cytokine-mediated macrophage activation. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis is presumably a marker of immunodeficiency, but cytokine responses have not been well studied in such patients. OBJECTIVE: Assess immune defects in persons with previous extrapulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: In vitro cytokine responses of PBMCs from HIV-seronegative adults with previous extrapulmonary tuberculosis (n = 10) were compared with responses from persons with previous pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 24) and latent M tuberculosis infection (n = 30) in a case-control study. RESULTS: Patients and controls did not differ according to age, sex, race, or monocytes. The median time between tuberculosis diagnosis and study entry was 72 and 122 weeks in extrapulmonary and pulmonary patients, respectively (P = .2). Median CD4+ counts were 660, 814, and 974 lymphocytes/mm3 in extrapulmonary, pulmonary, and latently infected patients, respectively (P = .03). At 48 hours, median unstimulated cytokine levels were uniformly lower in extrapulmonary patients than both sets of controls. These differences persisted after controlling for CD4+ count by linear regression analysis. Despite lower unstimulated levels, median TNF-alpha response was higher in patients with extrapulmonary and pulmonary tuberculosis than latently infected persons after stimulation with PHA 1% (P = .006) and PHA+IL-12 (1 ng/mL; P = .02); IL-10 remained low in patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis after the same stimuli (P = .04 and .06, respectively). There was no primary immunodeficiency in the IL-12/23-IFN-gamma axis. CONCLUSION: HIV-seronegative adults with previous extrapulmonary tuberculosis had lower CD4+ lymphocytes and unstimulated cytokine production. This suggests a subtle abnormality in innate immune function. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: These characteristics could identify persons at risk for severe tuberculosis manifestations.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Rhabdomyolysis in the military: recognizing late-onset very long-chain acyl Co-A dehydrogenase deficiency.

Very long-chain acyl Co-A dehydrogenase deficiency, an inborn error of lipid metabolism, is commonly thought of as a disease of infancy or early childhood. However, several cases of late-onset very long-chain acyl Co-A dehydrogenase have been reported. This report of two military men who survived basic training before their disease presentation broadens the spectrum of late-onset disease, presents two previously unreported mutations, and demonstrates the fine line between athletic, active lifestyle and severe disease presentation.

Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain↗
PubMed2006

Use of bacteriophage in the treatment of experimental animal bacteremia from imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains still remains a significant problem for antimicrobial chemotherapy in the clinic. Bacterial viruses (bacteriophages or phages) have been suggested to be used as alternative therapeutic agents for bacterial infections. However, the efficacy of phage therapy in treating drug-resistant infections in humans is uncertain. Therefore in the present study, we examined the effectiveness of phages in the treatment of imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (IMPR-Pa) infection in an experimental mouse model. Twenty-nine strains of phage were isolated from our hospital sewage, and phage ØA392 was representatively used for all testing because it has lytic activity against a wide range of clinical isolates of IMPR-Pa. We found that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of one IMPR-Pa strain (3 x 10(7) CFU) caused bacteremia and all mice died within 24 h. A single i.p. inoculation of the phage strain (MOI > or =0.01) at up to 60 min after the bacterial challenge was sufficient to rescue 100% of the animals. This lifesaving effect coincided with the rapid appearance of ØA392 in the circulation (within 2 h after i.p. injection), which remained at substantially higher levels for up to 48 h until the bacteria were eradicated. However, the survival rates of the mice dropped to approximately 50% and 20% when the same dose of this purified phage preparation was administered at 180 min and 360 min, respectively, after IMPR-Pa infections. In addition, we demonstrated that the ability of this phage to rescue bacteremic animals was due to the functional capabilities of the phage and not to a non-specific immune effect. The protection from death occurred only in animals inoculated with bacteria-specific virulent phage strains. When the heat-inactivated phages were used, the survival rate of the infected mice was dramatically reduced to 20% or lower. Moreover, the levels of the antibody against the phage were not significantly changed at the time when the bacteremic animals were protected by the active phages. Finally, our observations revealed that the inoculation of the mice with high-doses of ØA392 alone produced no adverse effects attributable to the phage. These data indicate that phages can save animals from pernicious P. aeruginosa infections and suggest that phage therapy may be potentially used as a stand-alone therapy for patients with IMPR-Pa infections.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Therapeutic effectiveness of bacteriophages in the rescue of mice with extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli bacteremia.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria has become a global crisis. Accumulating evidence shows that bacteriophages (phages) can rescue animals from a variety of lethal infections and be effective in treating drug-resistant infections in humans. Enterobacteriaceae, producing extended spectrum beta-lactamase enzymes (ESBLs), are resistant to a broad range of beta-lactamase antibiotics. One of the most common ESBL-producing gram-negative bacilli in Enterobacteriaceae is Escherichia coli. Since ESBL-producing E. coli poses a formidable challenge in the management of critically ill patients with bacterial infections, we undertook this study to explore the possible therapeutic utility of phages to control ESBL-producing E. coli infections. The phage Ø9882 used in this study was isolated from our hospital sewage and has lytic activity against a broad range of clinical isolates of ESBL-producing E. coli. ESBL-producing E. coli strains (n=30) were isolated in the clinic, and one of them was used to induce bacteremia in a murine model. Bacteremia was established by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 3 x 10(7) CFU/ml, the minimum lethal dose (MLD) of bacterium in this animal model. Mice infected with the MLD of this strain alone died within 14 h, whereas a single i.p. inoculation of Ø9882 (MOI > or =10(-4)) given 40 min after the bacterial challenge led to 100% survival at 24-168 h, compared to 0% survival of saline-treated controls. Protection was obtained even when administration of the phage was delayed up to 60 min after the bacterial infection and the survival rate of infected animals was 60% at 168 h. Furthermore, it was shown that the therapeutic efficacy of Ø9882 in lethal systemic infection in our model is due to the functional capability of the phage and not the nonspecific immune effects. Our data both in vitro and in vivo revealed that: i) the protection of mice from death occurred only in animals infected with selected bacterial strains and the virulent phage specific to them; ii) when the phages were heat-inactivated, survival of the infected mice was strikingly decreased to 0; and iii) the level of antibody against the phage was not substantially elevated when the bacteremic animals were protected by the phage. The present findings indicate that phages can effectively rescue our mouse model from bacteremia and death, and thus provide the rationale and framework to evaluate the therapeutical efficacy of lytic phages against fatal ESBL-producing E. coli infections in humans.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Determination of glycyrrhetic acid in human plasma by LC-ESI-MS.

A sensitive liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method for determination of glycyrrhetic acid, the active metabolite of glycyrrhizin, in human plasma using ursolic acid as the internal standard (IS) was established. Plasma was extracted with ethyl acetate and separated on a C18 column with a mobile phase of 10 mmol/l ammonium acetate-acetonitrile (10:90). Glycyrrhetic acid was determined using electrospray ionization in a single quadrupole mass spectrometer. HPLC-ESI-MS was performed in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode using target ions at m/z 469.5 for glycyrrhetic acid and m/z 455.5 for IS. Calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.1-400 ng/ml. The limit of quantitation for glycyrrhetic acid in plasma was 0.1 ng/ml. The mean plasma extraction recovery of glycyrrhetic acid was 94.51 +/- 3.82%. The method has been successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of glycyrrhetic acid in healthy male Chinese volunteers. The assay was proved to be sensitive, accurate and convenient.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Leptin replacement therapy modulates circulating lymphocyte subsets and cytokine responsiveness in severe lipodystrophy.

CONTEXT: We conducted this study to understand the role of leptin therapy in immunomodulation. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to study lymphocyte subpopulations and in vitro peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) activation during a study evaluating the effects of leptin on metabolic functions in severe lipodystrophy (serum leptin levels < 4 ng/ml). DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted an open-label study with patients serving as their own control at the Clinical Research Center of the National Institutes of Health. PATIENTS: Ten patients (age range, 15-63 yr; one male and nine females) with generalized forms of lipodystrophy were studied. INTERVENTION: Patients were treated with recombinant human leptin to achieve high normal concentrations for 4 to 8 months. RESULTS: Leptin levels increased from 1.8 +/- 0.4 to 16.5 +/- 3.9 ng/dl (P < 0.001), whereas metabolic control improved [glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) fell from 9.3 +/- 0.4 to 7.1 +/- 1.4%, P < 0.001, and triglycerides decreased by 45 +/- 11% from a mean of 1490 +/- 710 mg/dl, P = 0.001]. Lymphocyte subsets were studied by flow cytometry at baseline and at 4 and 8 months of therapy. PBMC responsiveness was evaluated by cytokine release and proliferation after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin, phytohemagglutinin plus IL-12, lipopolysaccharide, and lipopolysaccharide plus interferon-gamma at baseline and 4 months. Various T lymphocyte subsets were significantly lower than age- and sex-matched controls at baseline; however, the CD4/CD8 ratio was normal. The relative percentages of B lymphocytes and monocytes were elevated, although the absolute levels were normal. Leptin therapy induced significant changes in T lymphocyte subsets, which normalized both the absolute number of T lymphocyte subsets and relative percentages of all lineages. Additionally, in vitro TNF-alpha secreted from PBMC of patients was significantly increased to normal after 4 months of leptin therapy compared with baseline. CONCLUSION: These data support existing evidence that leptin has a modest immunomodulatory effect in hypoleptinemic humans.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Anti-IFN-gamma autoantibodies in disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial infections.

Although many patients with disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial disease have molecular defects in the IFN-gamma/IL-12 axis, recent case reports have shown autoantibodies against IFN-gamma associated with severe nontuberculous mycobacterial infections. To check this finding in an independent population, we screened 35 patients with either disseminated or pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial infections for whom no molecular defect was known. We identified high-titer-neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma IgG in the plasma of six patients. All six patients were female, parous, of East Asian descent, and had disseminated infection, predominantly with rapidly growing mycobacteria. The anti-IFN-gamma IgG had in vitro biological activity on the IFN-gamma-dependent phosphorylation of STAT-1 as well as on the IFN-gamma-dependent up-regulation of TNF-alpha and IL-12. In contrast, this anti-IFN-gamma Ab had no effect on IFN-alpha-dependent STAT-1 phosphorylation. These patients confirm a novel syndrome linking autoimmunity and immunodeficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The interaction between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 3C-like proteinase and a dimeric inhibitor by capillary electrophoresis.

3C-like proteinase of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus has been demonstrated to be a key target for drug design against SARS. The interaction between SARS coronavirus 3C-like (3CL) proteinase and an octapeptide interface inhibitor was studied by affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE). The binding constants were estimated by the change of migration time of the analytes in the buffer solution containing different concentrations of SARS 3CL proteinase. The results showed that SARS 3CL proteinase was able to complex with the octapeptide competitively, with binding constants of 2.44 x 10(4) M(-1) at 20 degrees C and 2.11 x 10(4)M(-1) at 37 degrees C. In addition, the thermodynamic parameters deduced reveal that hydrophobic interaction might play major roles, along with electrostatic force, in the binding process. The ACE method used here could be developed to be an effective and simple way of applying large-scale drug screening and evaluation.

3C Viral Proteases↗
PubMed2005

Determination of moxonidine in human plasma by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method has been developed and validated for the identification and quantification of moxonidine in human plasma. After the addition of clonidine-HCl, the internal standard (IS) and sodium hydrogen carbonate, plasma samples were extracted using 5 mL ethyl acetate. The compounds were separated on a Lichrospher ODS (5 microm, 250 mm x 4.6 mm) column using an elution system of 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate buffer-methanol (20:80 v/v) as the mobile phase. Analytes were determined using electrospary ionization in a single quadrupole mass spectrometer. LC-ESI-MS was performed in the selected-ion monitoring (SIM) mode using target ions at m/z: 242.2 for moxonidine and m/z: 230.1 for the IS. The method has shown to be sensitive and specific by testing six different blank plasma batches. Linearity was established for the range of concentrations 0.01976-9.88 ng/mL with a coefficient of correlation (r) of 0.9999. The lower limit of quantification (LOQ) was identifiable and reproducible at 0.01976 ng/mL. The method has been successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of moxonidine in healthy male Chinese volunteers.

Calibration↗
PubMed2005

Generation and annotation of the DNA sequences of human chromosomes 2 and 4.

Human chromosome 2 is unique to the human lineage in being the product of a head-to-head fusion of two intermediate-sized ancestral chromosomes. Chromosome 4 has received attention primarily related to the search for the Huntington's disease gene, but also for genes associated with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, polycystic kidney disease and a form of muscular dystrophy. Here we present approximately 237 million base pairs of sequence for chromosome 2, and 186 million base pairs for chromosome 4, representing more than 99.6% of their euchromatic sequences. Our initial analyses have identified 1,346 protein-coding genes and 1,239 pseudogenes on chromosome 2, and 796 protein-coding genes and 778 pseudogenes on chromosome 4. Extensive analyses confirm the underlying construction of the sequence, and expand our understanding of the structure and evolution of mammalian chromosomes, including gene deserts, segmental duplications and highly variant regions.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Study on the interactions between anti-HIV-1 active compounds with trans-activation response RNA by affinity capillary electrophoresis.

The study on the interactions between two anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (anti-HIV-1) active compounds with trans-activation response (TAR) RNA by affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) with UV absorbance detection is presented. The results showed that the novel active molecules could interact with TAR RNA and inhibit the reproduce process of HIV-1. The binding constants were estimated by the change of migration time of the analytes through the change of concentrations of TAR RNA in the buffer solution. The yielded binding constants of 8.87 x 10(3)M(-1) for active compound C(3) and 8.42 x 10(3)M(-1) for MC(3) at 20.0 degrees C, 0.626 x 10(3)M(-1) and 0.644 x 10(3)M(-1) at 37.0 degrees C, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters Delta H and DeltaS were obtained and shown that both hydrophobic and electrostatic interaction played roles in the binding processes. The results showed that the presented method was an easy and simple method to evaluate the interaction of small molecules with some bioactive materials.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed2005

Fibromodulin is expressed in leiomyoma and myometrium and regulated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue therapy and TGF-beta through Smad and MAPK-mediated signalling.

Microarray gene expression profiling revealed fibromodulin (FMOD) is among differentially expressed genes in leiomyoma (L) and myometrium. Using realtime PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry, we validated the expression of FMOD in paired leiomyoma and myometrium (N = 20) during the menstrual cycle, from women who received gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) therapy (N = 7) and in leiomyoma and myometrial (M) smooth muscle cells (SMC) due to transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and GnRHa treatment. The results indicated that FMOD is expressed at significantly higher levels in leiomyoma as compared to myometrium from proliferative phase (two- to three-folds; P < 0.05), but not the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, whereas GnRHa therapy reduced FMOD expression to levels detected in myometrium from proliferative phase (P = 0.05). By using western blotting and immunohistochemistry immunoreactive FMOD was detected in leiomyoma and myometrial tissue-extract and in LSMC and MSMC, connective tissue fibroblasts and arterial walls. In a time- and cell-dependent manner, TGF-beta1 (2.5 ng/ml) increased the expression of FMOD in MSMC, whereas GnRHa (0.1 microM) inhibited that in MSMC and LSMC (P < 0.05). The effect of TGF-beta and GnRHa on FMOD expression was reversed following pretreatment of LSMC and MSMC with Smad3 SiRNA and U0126 (MEK1/2 inhibitor), respectively. In summary, menstrual cycle-dependent expression of FMOD and suppression following GnRHa therapy in leiomyoma and myometrium, as well as differential regulation by TGF-beta and GnRHa in vitro suggests that FMOD, a key regulator of tissue organization, plays a critical role in leiomyoma fibrotic characteristics.

Extracellular Matrix Proteins↗
PubMed2005

ADAR1 interacts with NF90 through double-stranded RNA and regulates NF90-mediated gene expression independently of RNA editing.

The RNA-editing enzyme ADAR1 modifies adenosines by deamination and produces A-to-I mutations in mRNA. ADAR1 was recently demonstrated to function in host defense and in embryonic erythropoiesis during fetal liver development. The mechanisms for these phenotypic effects are not yet known. Here we report a novel function of ADAR1 in the regulation of gene expression by interacting with the nuclear factor 90 (NF90) proteins, known regulators that bind the antigen response recognition element (ARRE-2) and have been demonstrated to stimulate transcription and translation. ADAR1 upregulates NF90-mediated gene expression by interacting with the NF90 proteins, including NF110, NF90, and NF45. A knockdown of NF90 with small interfering RNA suppresses this function of ADAR1. Coimmunoprecipitation and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) digestion demonstrate that ADAR1 is associated with NF110, NF90, and NF45 through the bridge of cellular dsRNA. Studies with ADAR1 deletions demonstrate that the dsRNA binding domain and a region covering the Z-DNA binding domain and the nuclear export signal comprise the complete function of ADAR1 in upregulating NF90-mediated gene expression. These data suggest that ADAR1 has the potential both to change information content through editing of mRNA and to regulate gene expression through interacting with the NF90 family proteins.

Adenosine Deaminase↗