Blood Plasma Proteins Associated With Heart Rate Variability in Cosmonauts Who Have Completed Long-Duration Space Missions

The study presents the results of evaluating the changes in the concentrations of blood plasma proteins associated with heart rate variability (HRV) in cosmonauts who have completed space missions lasting about 6months. The concentrations of 125 proteins were quantified in biological samples of the cosmonauts’ blood plasma. The subgroups of proteins associated with the physiological processes of the HRV autonomic regulation were identified using bioinformatic resources (Immunoglobulin heavy constant mu, Complement C1q subcomponent subunit C, Plasma serine protease inhibitor, Protein-72kDa type IV collagenase, Fibulin-1, Immunoglobulin lambda constant 3). The concentration of these proteins in the blood plasma before the flight, and the dynamics of concentration changes on the 1st and 7th days of the post-flight rehabilitation period differed in the groups of cosmonauts with a predominance of sympathetic or parasympathetic modulating autonomous influences. The dynamics of changes in the concentrations of the identified set of proteins reveal that in cosmonauts with a predominance of sympathetic modulating influences, the mechanisms of autonomic regulation are exposed to significant stress in the recovery period immediately after the completion of the space mission, compared with the cosmonauts with a predominance of parasympathetic modulating influences.

Expression of Piwi, MMP, TIMP, and Sox during Gut Regeneration in Holothurian Eupentacta fraudatrix (Holothuroidea, Dendrochirotida)

Mesodermal cells of holothurian Eupentacta fraudatrix can transdifferentiate into enterocytes during the regeneration of the digestive system. In this study, we investigated the expression of several genes involved in gut regeneration in E. fraudatrix. Moreover, the localization of progenitor cells of coelomocytes, juvenile cells, and their participation in the formation of the luminal epithelium of the digestive tube were studied. It was shown that Piwi-positive cells were not involved in the formation of the luminal epithelium of the digestive tube. Ef-72 kDa type IV collagenase and Ef-MMP16 had an individual expression profile and possibly different functions. The Ef-tensilin3 gene exhibited the highest expression and indicates its potential role in regeneration. Ef-Sox9/10 and Ef-Sox17 in E. fraudatrix may participate in the mechanism of transdifferentiation of coelomic epithelial cells. Their transcripts mark the cells that plunge into the connective tissue of the gut anlage and give rise to enterocytes. Ef-Sox9/10 probably controls the switching of mesodermal cells to the enterocyte phenotype, while Ef-Sox17 may be involved in the regulation of the initial stages of transdifferentiation.

Baicalin Inhibits Ferroptosis in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a subtype of stroke characterized by high mortality and disability rates. To date, the exact etiology of ICH-induced brain injury is still unclear. Moreover, there is no effective treatment to delay or prevent disease progression currently. Increasing evidence suggests that ferroptosis plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of ICH injury. Baicalin is a main active ingredient of Chinese herbal medicine Scutellaria baicalensis. It has been reported to exhibit neuroprotective effects against ICH-induced brain injury as well as reduce iron deposition in multiple tissues. Therefore, in this study, we focused on the protective mechanisms of baicalin against ferroptosis caused by ICH using a hemin-induced in vitro model and a Type IV collagenase-induced in vivo model. Our results revealed that baicalin enhanced cell viability and suppressed ferroptosis in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells treated with hemin, erastin and RSL3. Importantly, baicalin showed anti-ferroptosis effect on primary cortical neurons (PCN). Furthermore, baicalin alleviated motor deficits and brain injury in ICH model mice through inhibiting ferroptosis. Additionally, baicalin existed no obvious toxicity towards the liver and kidney of mice. Evidently, ferroptosis is a key pathological feature of ICH and baicalin can prevent the development of ferroptosis in ICH. As such, baicalin is a potential therapeutic drug for ICH treatment.

The Effect of Genetic Stability Molecules on the Movement of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Objective: To give full play to the role of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in biomedicine, innovate the treatment model of human diseases, and study the effect of genetic stability molecules of hESCs on movement. Methods: hESCs were cultured by mechanical passage, type IV collagenase passage and 0.25% EDTA trypsin passage respectively to find the best passage way of hESCs culture; hESCs were differentiated into endometrial like cells through embryoid pathway in vitro, and the morphology of endometrial like cells was observed under light microscope; the genomic DNA of human embryonic stem cells was detected by SNP chip, and its components were analyzed. The SNP analysis of the samples before and after the induction of differentiation were used to extract the DNA of the endometrial epithelioid cells of hESCs, and the DNA microarray results before and after the induction of hESCs were detected. Results: type IV collagenase passage method took a long time and was not suitable to control the digestion time and inoculation density; 0.25% EDTA trypsin digested hESCs into a single cell state, which was not conducive to continuous growth after being inoculated in the feeder layer; mechanical passage method could cut into different sizes of clumps according to the needs, and could remove differentiated or deviated cells, which was more suitable for hESCs passage; light microscopically, the cells grow in a single layer and adhere to the wall, and the cells extending to the surrounding irregularity are spindle shaped. With the extension of differentiation time, the central part of the clone is loose, the cells fall off, and the surrounding cells grow intensively to the outer part of the clone. The mutant gene involves 1131 mutations and 24 chromosome mutations, of which the mutation rate of chromosome 19 is the largest, and it involves the length of chromosome 5. It is longer than that of other chromosomes, and there are many genes carried by it, which results in the exon mutations on chromosome 5. Conclusion: mechanical subculture is the best way for hESCs culture, and long-term subculture will affect the genetic stability of human embryonic stem cells.

RNA Sequencing Analysis to Capture the Transcriptome Landscape during Tenderization in Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

Sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) is an economically significant species in China having great commercial value. It is challenging to maintain the textural properties during thermal processing due to the distinctive physiochemical structure of the A. japonicus body wall (AJBW). In this study, the gene expression profiles associated with tenderization in AJBW were determined at 0 h (CON), 1 h (T_1h), and 3 h (T_3h) after treatment at 37 °C using Illumina HiSeq™ 4000 platform. Seven-hundred-and-twenty-one and 806 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in comparisons of T_1h vs. CON and T_3h vs. CON, respectively. Among these DEGs, we found that two endogenous proteases—72 kDa type IV collagenase and matrix metalloproteinase 16 precursor—were significantly upregulated that could directly affect the tenderness of AJBW. In addition, 92 genes controlled four types of physiological and biochemical processes such as oxidative stress response (3), immune system process (55), apoptosis (4), and reorganization of the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (30). Further, the RT-qPCR results confirmed the accuracy of RNA-sequencing analysis. Our results showed the dynamic changes in global gene expression during tenderization and provided a series of candidate genes that contributed to tenderization in AJBW. This can help further studies on the genetics/molecular mechanisms associated with tenderization.

A signal-on photoelectrochemical biosensor for detecting cancer marker type IV collagenase by coupling enzyme cleavage with exciton energy transfer biosensing

A signal-on photoelectrochemical biosensor was developed for the sensitive detection of a cancer marker type IV collagenase, which relied on the exciton energy transfer between CdTe QDs and Ag NPs combined with the catalytic hydrolysis of protease.