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In the past 10 years, several publications have highlighted the role of the regulator of G protein signalling (RGS) family in multiple diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. As one of the multifunctional family members, RGS14 is involved in various biological processes, such as synaptic plasticity, cell division, and phagocytosis. However, the role of RGS14 in cardiovascular diseases remains unclear. In the present study, we used a genetic approach to examine the role of RGS14 in pathological cardiac remodelling in vivo and in vitro. We observed that RGS14 was down-regulated in human failing hearts, murine hypertrophic hearts, and isolated hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. Moreover, the extent of aortic banding-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis was exacerbated in RGS14 knockout mice, whereas RGS14 transgenic mice exhibited a significantly alleviated response to pressure overload. Furthermore, research of the underlying mechanism revealed that the RGS14-dependent rescue of cardiac remodelling was attributed to the abrogation of mitogenactivated protein kinase (MEK)–extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2 signalling. The results showed that constitutive activation of MEK1 nullified the cardiac protection in RGS14 transgenic mice, and inhibition of MEK–ERK1/2 by U0126 reversed RGS14 deletionrelated hypertrophic aggravation. These results demonstrated that RGS14 attenuated the development of cardiac remodelling through MEK–ERK1/2 signalling. RGS14 exhibited great potential as a target for the treatment of pathological cardiac remodelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the value of cardiac troponin(cTn), myoglobin(Myo) combined with heart-type fatty acid-binding protein(H-FABP) detection in the diagnosis of early acute myocardial infarction(AMI)., Methods: This study was a clinical comparative study. Eighty patients with AMI hospitalized in Tangshan Workers' Hospital were selected as study group, and another 80 individuals receiving normal physical examination were selected as control group from September 20, 2021 to September 20, 2022. The concentrations of cTn, Myo and H-FABPP, diagnostic indicators, the sensitivity and specificity of combined diagnosis, as well as the diagnostic efficacy for AMI were compared between the two groups., Results: The levels of cTn, Myo and H-FABPP in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group( P = 0.00). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cTn, Myo and H-FABP were all relevant indicators for AMI. H-FABP alone has better diagnostic efficacy for AMI. The area under the curve of their combined detection, the specificity, and the sensitivity were higher than those of cTn, Myo and H-FABP alone, indicating that their combined application has the best diagnostic efficiency. cTn, Myo and H-FABP levels were positively correlated with Glu, TC, LDL-C and hs-CRP levels( P < 0.01), while negatively correlated with HDL level( P < 0.01)., Conclusions: The combined detection of cardiac markers such as cTn, Myo and H-FABP presents higher sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of AMI compared with any single detection, and can provide better data support for the definite diagnosis of AMI, with high clinical application value., (Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)

The β1‑adrenergic receptor (AR) is the primary β‑AR subtype in the heart and is the target of metoprolol (Met), which is commonly used to treat angina and hypertension. Previous studies have revealed a positive correlation between the methylation levels of the adrenoreceptor β1 gene (Adrb1) promoter in the myocardium with the antihypertensive activity of Met in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), which affects β1‑AR expression in H9C2 cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of myocardial β1‑AR downregulation using short‑hairpin RNA (shRNA) against Adrb1 on the antihypertensive activity of Met in SHR. Recombinant adeno‑associated virus type 9 (rAAV9) vectors carrying Adrb1 shRNA (rAAV9‑Adrb1) or a negative control sequence (rAAV9‑NC) were generated and used to infect rat hearts via the pericardial cavity. The results of reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and western blotting analyses demonstrated that cardiac β1‑AR expression in the rAAV9‑Adrb1 group was significantly downregulated when compared with the rAAV9‑NC group (P<0.001, P<0.001 and P=0.032, respectively). In addition, a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) was observed in the rAAV9‑NC group compared with the rAAV9‑Adrb1 group following Met treatment (P=0.035). Furthermore, downregulation of myocardial β1‑AR was associated with a significant decrease in SBP (P<0.001). In conclusion, these data suggest that suppression of β1‑AR expression in the myocardium reduces SBP and sensitivity to Met in SHR.

Objective: To prepare a specific polyclonal antibody against full-length SUN5 for detecting the expression of SUN5 in human germ cells., Methods: Bioinformatic methods were used to compare the full-length SUN5 and its variant SUN5β, and a short peptide was designed based on the differential region to prepare SUN5 antibody. The prepared antibody was used to detect the expression of SUN5 in Ntera-2 cells and in human germ cells by Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay., Results: The short peptide was correctly synthesized and SUN5 antibody was obtained and purified. Western blotting showed that the prepared antibody was capable of recognizing full-length SUN5 in Ntera-2 cells, and SUN5 expression was localized on the nuclear membrane and in the cytoplasm as shown by immunofluorescence assay. Using this antibody, we detected SUN5 expression in the spermatocytes, round spermatids and sperms in human germ cells., Conclusion: We successfully prepared SUN5-specific antibody. SUN5 is expressed in the spermatocytes, round spermatids and sperms in human germ cells, suggesting its important role in spermatogenesis.

Objective: To explore the correlation between serum levels of Cystatin C and metabolic syndrome., Methods: This study was randomly conducted in 506 persons, including 191 patients with metabolic syndrome (MS), 210 with metabolic disorder (MD) and 105 persons in normal control (NC) group. According to serum levels of Cys C, the clinical data were also divided into 3 groups of lower tertile (T1, n = 165), middle tertile (T2, n = 172) and upper tertile (T3, n = 169). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), creatinine (Cr), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), microalbuminuria (MAU), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and pulse pressure (PP) were measured and their mutual relations evaluated., Results: Statistically significant differences (all P < 0.01) existed among T1, T2 and T3 groups in the mean values of BMI, waist circumference, WHR, FPG, LDL-C, TG, Cr, eGFR, MAU, SBP, DBP and PP. As tertile levels of Cys C increased, MS morbidity rates became all remarkably augmented (P < 0.01). The MS component scores had significant statistical differences among the patients of T1, T2 and T3 groups (P < 0.01). As the MS component scores increased, the level of Cys C rose in these patients. The higher MS marks were, the higher serum concentration of Cys C was in these patients. The plasma concentration of Cys C in MS patients was closely related with WC, LDL-C, FBG and blood pressure (all P < 0.05), not related with TG levels and negatively correlated with HDL-C levels (r = -0.352, P = 0.01). WC, Cys C, LDL-C, MAU and PP were significantly associated with MS. And the value of OR between Cys C and MS was 2.943 (95% CI 1.276-3.914)., Conclusion: Cys C is significantly associated with MS. As MS scores rise, the level of Cys C increases.

Aim: to construction of eukaryotic expression vector of the human SOD1 (Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, SOD1) and expression in HeLa cells., Methods: the open reading frame (ORF) of SOD1 was amplified from human peripheral blood by RT-PCR. TA cloning strategy was used to insert the target fragments into pUCm-T vector. The recombinant plasmid was identified and noted as pUCm-T-SOD1. Then, SOD1 was subcloned into pTracer-CMV/Bsd, a eukaryotic expression vector. The plasmid of pTracer-CMV/Bsd-SOD1 was sequenced and was introduced into HeLa cells by Lipofectamine(TM); 2000. The expression of green fluorescence protein (GFP) was observed by the fluorescence microscope. The expression of SOD1 was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot after screening by blasticidin for 4 weeks., Results: the eukaryotic expression plasmid pTracer-CMV/Bsd-SOD1 was successfully constructed. The GFP was observed in transfected cells by the fluorescence microscope. The expression of SOD1 was detected in transfected cells by RT-PCR and Western blot., Conclusion: the recombinant eukaryotic expression vector of pTracer-CMV/Bsd-SOD1 has been constructed successfully which could express GFP and SOD1, respectively, providing a tool for further gene therapy study.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of surface modification on the DNA-binding ability of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA)., Methods: Chemical co-precipitation-hydrothermal synthesis was utilized to prepare the nHA particles, and polyethylenimine (PEI) was used for surface modification of the nHA. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation and zeta potential detection of the nHA were carried out before and after surface modification. The abilities of the nanoparticles, at different pH values and different concentrations, for DNA-binding and DNA protection against nuclease digestion were assessed before and after surface modification by electrophoresis., Results: TEM observation showed a short rod-like morphology of PEI-modified nHA with uniform particle size and good dispersion; the nHA without the modification tended to aggregate with poor dispersion. With a positive zeta potential, the PEI-modified nHA showed an obviously enhanced ability of DNA binding at different pH values and concentrations, with strong capacity to protect the DNA against Dnase I digestion. At the concentration of 250 µg/ml and a pH value of 7.0, the nHA-PEI showed an optimal efficiency of DNA-binding and DNA protection., Conclusion: nHA with surface modification by PEI can serve as an effective vector for DNA binding and transfer.

Objective: To express SPAG4L, a novel human testis gene in E. coli and purify it's fusion protein., Methods: The fragment encoding SPAG4L126-379 was amplified by RT-PCR and the PCR products were cloned into PUCm-T vectors. After digestion by EcoR I and Hind III, the fragment was subcloned into PQE-30, a prokaryotic expression vector with 6×His tag. The recombinant plasmid PQE-30-SPAG4L was sequenced and transformed into E.coli M15. The expression of his-tagged fusion protein was induced by IPTG. The fusion protein was identified by Western blotting and purified using Ni-NTA magnetic agarose beads., Results: The recombinant plasmid PQE-30-SPAG4L was constructed successfully and expressed in E.coli M15. The fusion protein SPAG4Lwith 6×his-tag was confirmed by Western blotting. The micro-scale purification system of 6×His-tagged SPAG4Lprotein was established and purified fusion protein was obtained., Conclusion: The recombinant plasmid PQE-30-SPAG4L can be expressed in vitro and used for studying the biological function of SPAG4L in spermatogenesis.