Using LoxP/Cre technology, we generated a knockout mouse homozygous for a null mutation in exon 2 of Cav1. In male Cav1-/- animals, we observed a dramatic increase in the incidence of urinary calcium stone formation. In 5-month-old male mice, the incidence of early urinary calculi was 67% in Cav1-/- mice compared to 19% in Cav1+/+ animals. Frank stone formation was observed in 13% of Cav1-/- males but was not seen in Cav1+/+ mice. Urine calcium concentration was significantly higher in Cav1-/- male mice compared to Cav1+/+ mice. In Cav1-/- mice, distal convoluted tubule cells were completely devoid of Cav1 and the localization of plasma membrane calcium ATPase was disrupted. Functional studies confirmed that active calcium absorption was significantly reduced in Cav1-/- compared to Cav1+/+ male mice. These results demonstrate that disruption of the Cav1 gene promotes the progressive steps required for urinary calcium stone formation and establish a new mouse model for urinary stone disease.

The association between the signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) gene rs7574865 single nucleotide polymorphism and different autoimmune diseases remains controversial and ambiguous. We conducted this study to investigate whether combined evidence shows the association between STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism and autoimmune diseases. Comprehensive Medline search and review of the references were used to get the relevant reports published before September 2011. Meta-analysis was conducted for genotype T/T (recessive effect), T/T + G/T (dominant effect) and T allele in random effects models. 40 studies with 90 comparisons including 32 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 19 rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 3 type 1 diabetes (T1D), 11 Systemeric Sclerosis (SSc), 4 inflammatory bowed diseases (IBD), 3 Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS), 4 juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), 2 Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), 1 Autoimmune thyroid diseases, 1 multiple sclerosis, 1 Psoriasis, 1 Wegener's granulomatosis, 1 Type 2 diabetes, and 1 giant cell arteritis disease were available for this meta-analysis. The overall odds ratios for rs7574865 T-allele significantly increased in SLE, RA, T1D, SSc, JIA, and APS (OR = 1.56, 1.25, 1.13, 1.34, 1.25, and 2.15, respectively, P < 0.00001) and in IBD-UC and pSS (OR = 1.11 and 1.33, respectively, P < 0.05). This meta-analysis demonstrates that the STAT4 rs7574865 T allele confers susceptibility to SLE, RA, T1D, SSc, JIA, APS, IBD-UC, and pSS patients, supporting the hypothesis of association between STAT4 gene polymorphism and subgroup of autoimmune diseases.

Thyroid hormone responsive spot 14 (THRSP) is a small nuclear protein that responds rapidly to thyroid hormone. It has been shown that THRSP is abundant in lipogenic tissues such as liver, fat and the mammary gland in mammals. The THRSP gene acts as a key lipogenic activator and can be activated by thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), glucose, carbohydrate and insulin. Here we report that chicken THRSP is also abundant in lipogenic tissues including the liver and the abdominal fat, and its expression levels increased with sex maturation and reached the highest level at the peak of egg production. Structure analysis of the THRSP gene indicates that there is a conscious estrogen response element (ERE) located in the −2390 – −2402 range of the gene promoter region. Further studies by ChIP-qPCR proved that the ERα interacts with the putative ERE site. In addition, THRSP was significantly upregulated (P < 0.05) when chickens or chicken primary hepatocytes were treated with 17β-estradiol in both the in vivo and in vitro conditions. We therefore conclude that THRSP is directly regulated by estrogen and is involved in the estrogen regulation network in chicken.

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of palonosetron and granisetron in a Chinese population receiving highly emetogenic cisplatin-based chemotherapy or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. Patients were stratified by chemotherapy with cisplatin (yes/no) and then randomly assigned to receive either palonosetron (0.25 mg i.v.) in the first cycle followed by granisetron (3 mg i.v.) in the second cycle or vice versa. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients with complete response 0-24 h post-chemotherapy administration. The proportions of patients with complete response 24-120 and 0-120 h following chemotherapy were also compared. Of the 144 patients randomized, 36 (25%) received 60-80 mg/m(2) cisplatin; 66 of 72 patients in the palonosetron to granisetron group and 56 of 72 patients in the granisetron to palonosetron group completed treatment with both antiemetics. The efficacy and safety analyses included 128 palonosetron treatments and 138 granisetron treatments. Palonosetron consistently produced numerically higher complete response rates than granisetron in the acute phase (0-24 h, 71.09 vs. 65.22%), the delayed phase (24-120 h, 60.16 vs. 55.80%), and overall (0-120 h, 53.13 vs. 50.00%) though the differences were not significant. Both palonosetron and granisetron were well tolerated. Palonosetron was well tolerated and effective in preventing acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in a Chinese population. When used as monotherapy, 0.25-mg palonosetron was not inferior to 3-mg granisetron for preventing vomiting following highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy.

Accumulating evidence has shown that miR-34a serves as a posttranscriptional regulatory molecule of lipid metabolism in mammals. However, little studies about miR-34a on lipid metabolism in poultry have been reported until now. To gain insight into the biological functions and action mechanisms of miR-34a on hepatic lipid metabolism in poultry, we firstly investigated the expression pattern of miR-34a-5p, a member of miR-34a family, in liver of chicken, and determined its function in hepatocyte lipid metabolism by miR-34a-5p overexpression and inhibition, respectively. We then validated the interaction between miR-34a-5p and its target using dual-luciferase reporter assay, and explored the action mechanism of miR-34a-5p on its target by qPCR and Western blotting. Additionally, we looked into the function of the target gene on hepatocyte lipid metabolism by gain- and loss-of-function experiments. Our results indicated that miR-34a-5p showed a significantly higher expression level in livers in peak-laying hens than that in pre-laying hens. miR-34a-5p could increase the intracellular levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol in hepatocyte. Furthermore, miR-34a-5p functioned by inhibiting the translation of its target gene, long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1), which negatively regulates hepatocyte lipid content. In conclusion, miR-34a-5p could increase intracellular lipid content by reducing the protein level, without influencing mRNA stability of the ACSL1 gene in chickens.