Biomedical subjects

J J Lin

Publications and source records attributed to J J Lin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Influence of Pediococcus-based probiotic on coccidiosis in broiler chickens.

Coccidiosis is the major parasitic disease of poultry and is caused by the apicomplexan parasites Eimeria. Drugs and live vaccines are the 2 main control measures of the disease; however, due to increasing concerns with prophylactic drug use and the high cost of vaccines, alternative control methods are needed. Recent evidence that various dietary and live microbial supplements can influence host immunity against enteric diseases prompted us to investigate the role of a Pediococcus-based probiotic on coccidiosis in broiler chickens. In the present study, we examined BW gains, oocyst shedding, and antibody responses of broilers fed the commercial probiotic MitoGrow. Day-old chicks were fed either a regular broiler diet or 1 of 2 probiotic diets supplemented with 0.1% (MG 0.1) or 0.2% MitoGrow. Chicks were orally challenged with 5,000 or 10,000 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria acervulina or with 5,000 Eimeria tenella oocysts on d 10 or 12 of age, respectively. In E. acervulina-infected birds, the MG 0.1 group improved (P < 0.05) weight gain as compared with the other 2 groups and reduced (P < 0.05) oocyst shedding in birds infected with 5,000 E. acervulina oocysts. In E. tenella-infected birds, Eimeria-specific antibody levels were higher (P < 0.05) in the Mito-Grow-fed groups, especially in the MG 0.1 birds, compared with the regular diet group, although their oocyst shedding and weight gains were not clearly improved. These results demonstrate that this Pediococcus acidilactici-based probiotic effectively enhances the resistance of birds and partially protects against the negative growth effects associated with coccidiosis, particularly when supplemented at 0.1% MitoGrow of the diet.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed2005

A CD14 monocyte receptor polymorphism and genetic susceptibility to Parkinson's disease for females.

Recent studies suggest that inflammation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Because the C(-260) --> T polymorphism in the promoter of the CD14 monocyte receptor gene (pCD14) could affect the predisposition to the inflammatory response, we conducted a case-control study to investigate a possible genetic susceptibility of the pCD14 polymorphism in patients with PD. This study included 200 sporadic PD patients and 200 controls, matched by sex and case-control pairs for age at onset in the case. All observed genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Results revealed that the CD14-T allele of the pCD14 polymorphism in the female PD patients existed statistically significant difference from that of the female controls (OR = 1.262, P = 0.038), but not for male. Female individuals with homozygote CD14-TT genotype were significantly increased risk of PD by 1.28 time (P = 0.027). Furthermore, a logistic regression analysis confirmed that the homozygote CD14-TT genotype was an independent risk factor for PD (OR = 1.576, P = 0.030). In conclusion, results of this study indicate the pCD14 polymorphism to be a genetic risk factor for PD in females.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Three-dimensional preoperative maps of hippocampal atrophy predict surgical outcomes in temporal lobe epilepsy.

The authors used surface-based anatomic mapping to detect features of hippocampal anatomy that correlated with surgical outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis. Compared with a seizure-free group, hippocampal profiles for the non-seizure-free group had greater diffuse ipsilateral atrophy and more region-specific contralateral atrophy in the anterior, lateral hippocampus. These atrophic regions may indicate areas of increased epileptogenicity, contributing to poorer surgical outcomes.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

The homozygote AA genotype of the alpha1-antichymotrypsin gene may confer protection against early-onset Parkinson's disease in women.

There has been increasing evidence suggesting that inflammatory response maybe involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Alpha1-antichymotrypsin gene (ACT) has been regarded as a susceptibility factor for PD in the past, but the evidence remains controversial. This case-control study was designed to investigate the association of alpha1-antichymotrypsin gene (ACT) polymorphism between 210 Taiwanese patients with clinical definite sporadic PD and 260 controls, matched by age and sex. There were no differences of allelic frequency (A and T) and genotype polymorphism (AA, AT and TT) of the ACT in PD patients from the controls. However, there were significantly fewer early-onset PD (onset age younger than 60 years) or PD women carrying the homozygote AA genotype (ACT-AA) than in controls (p=0.046 and 0.044, respectively). Further analysis revealed that the reduced risk of ACT-AA was particularly significant among PD women with the onset age younger than 60 years (OR=0.796, 95% CI=0.749-0.847, p<0.0001). This study shows that ACT-AA may confer a modest protection against developing early-onset PD in women.

Age of Onset↗

PubMed2003

First human ventral mesencephalon and striatum cografting in a Parkinson patient.

Fetal ventral mesencephalon (VM) transplantation has been reported to improve parkinsonian symptoms. Animal studies show that cografting of striatal tissue increases the survival of dopamine neurons. Whether or not VM and striatum cografting could ameliorate motor dysfunction in a Parkinson's disease (PD) patient was explored in this study. The patient was a 53-year-old male who had presented with symptoms of tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia for 11 years. He had been treated with L-dopa and had progressive deterioration of symptoms even with the daily dosage of L-dopa increased to 900 mg per day. Before transplantation, his PD symptoms were scored with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and video recordings. The influx constant (ki) of the [18F] 6-fluoro-L-dopa uptake in the striatum was measured by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The fetal VM and the lateral part of the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE) were cografted into the right putamen and, one week later, fetal VM alone was transplanted into the left putamen. After the transplantation, the patient's UPDRS score improved from 128 to 62 at 6 months and to 24 at 22 months during the "off" phase. The score of daily living disability improved from 35 to 18 at 6 months and to 10 at 22 months post transplantation. Twenty-two months after grafting, "off" phases were almost absent, and the freezing had totally disappeared. The [18F] 6-fluoro-L-dopa PET studies were performed 1 month before and 21 months after transplantation. The ki for [18F] 6-fluoro-L-dopa was decreased by 15% in the right caudate and 5% in the left caudate, both of which did not have any ventral mesencephalic grafts. However, the ki was increased by 35%, in the left non-cografted putamen, and by 58% in the right cografted putamen. In conclusion, cografting the fetal VM and the LGE in the putamen may improve the motor function of PD patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

[Cloning and expression of gynecophoral canal protein gene of Schistosoma japonicum (Chinese strain)].

A 1949 bp cDNA fragment was amplified by RT-PCR from adult Schistosoma japonicum (Chinese strain) mRNA with 3 pair of primers that were designed according to published SmGCP gene encoding gynecophoral canal protein of Schistosoma mansoni and SjGCP1 gene encoding the conservative region of gynecophoral canal protein of Schistosoma japonicum. Sequence analysis indicated that this fragment, named SjGCP, with 85% identity to SmGCP, contained a complete open reading frame (ORF) of gynecophoral canal protein gene of Schistosoma japonicum (Chinese strain). The amino acid sequence shared 83.7% identity with gynecophoral canal protein of Schistosoma mansoni. This fragment was cloned into the expression vector pET28c(+) and subsequently expressed in Escherichia coli. SDS-PAGE revealed that the molecular weight of this expressed product was 80 kD. Western blotting showed that the recombinant protein reacted well with the rabbit serum immunized with Sj worm antigen, indicating that this expressed product had good antigenicity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2001

A defect in the Kv channel-interacting protein 2 (KChIP2) gene leads to a complete loss of I(to) and confers susceptibility to ventricular tachycardia.

KChIP2, a gene encoding three auxiliary subunits of Kv4.2 and Kv4.3, is preferentially expressed in the adult heart, and its expression is downregulated in cardiac hypertrophy. Mice deficient for KChIP2 exhibit normal cardiac structure and function but display a prolonged elevation in the ST segment on the electrocardiogram. The KChIP2(-/-) mice are highly susceptible to the induction of cardiac arrhythmias. Single-cell analysis revealed a substrate for arrhythmogenesis, including a complete absence of transient outward potassium current, I(to), and a marked increase in action potential duration. These studies demonstrate that a defect in KChIP2 is sufficient to confer a marked genetic susceptibility to arrhythmias, establishing a novel genetic pathway for ventricular tachycardia via a loss of the transmural gradient of I(to).

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2001

Genomic structure, chromosomal localization and expression profile of a novel melanoma differentiation associated (mda-7) gene with cancer specific growth suppressing and apoptosis inducing properties.

Abnormalities in cellular differentiation are frequent occurrences in human cancers. Treatment of human melanoma cells with recombinant fibroblast interferon (IFN-beta) and the protein kinase C activator mezerein (MEZ) results in an irreversible loss in growth potential, suppression of tumorigenic properties and induction of terminal cell differentiation. Subtraction hybridization identified melanoma differentiation associated gene-7 (mda-7), as a gene induced during these physiological changes in human melanoma cells. Ectopic expression of mda-7 by means of a replication defective adenovirus results in growth suppression and induction of apoptosis in a broad spectrum of additional cancers, including melanoma, glioblastoma multiforme, osteosarcoma and carcinomas of the breast, cervix, colon, lung, nasopharynx and prostate. In contrast, no apparent harmful effects occur when mda-7 is expressed in normal epithelial or fibroblast cells. Human clones of mda-7 were isolated and its organization resolved in terms of intron/exon structure and chromosomal localization. Hu-mda-7 encompasses seven exons and six introns and encodes a protein with a predicted size of 23.8 kDa, consisting of 206 amino acids. Hu-mda-7 mRNA is stably expressed in the thymus, spleen and peripheral blood leukocytes. De novo mda-7 mRNA expression is also detected in human melanocytes and expression is inducible in cells of melanocyte/melanoma lineage and in certain normal and cancer cell types following treatment with a combination of IFN-beta plus MEZ. Mda-7 expression is also induced during megakaryocyte differentiation induced in human hematopoietic cells by treatment with TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate). In contrast, de novo expression of mda-7 is not detected nor is it inducible by IFN-beta+MEZ in a spectrum of additional normal and cancer cells. No correlation was observed between induction of mda-7 mRNA expression and growth suppression following treatment with IFN-beta+MEZ and induction of endogenous mda-7 mRNA by combination treatment did not result in significant intracellular MDA-7 protein. Radiation hybrid mapping assigned the mda-7 gene to human chromosome 1q, at 1q 32.2 to 1q41, an area containing a cluster of genes associated with the IL-10 family of cytokines. Mda-7 represents a differentiation, growth and apoptosis associated gene with potential utility for the gene-based therapy of diverse human cancers.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗

PubMed2001

Binding and partial denaturing of G-quartet DNA by Cdc13p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The protein Cdc13p binds telomeres in vivo and is essential for the maintenance of the telomeres of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, Cdc13p is known to bind single-stranded TG(1-3) DNA in vitro. Here we have shown that Cdc13p also binds DNA quadruplex, G-quartet, formed by TG(1-3) DNA. Moreover, the binding of Cdc13p causes a partial denaturing of the G-quartet DNA. Formation of DNA quadruplexes may involve the intermolecular association of TG(1-3) DNA and inhibit the extension of telomeres by telomerase. Thus, our finding suggests that Cdc13p may disrupt telomere association and facilitate telomere replication.

Alkylating Agents↗

PubMed2001

Renaturation and stabilization of the telomere-binding activity of Saccharomyces Cdc13(451-693)p by L-arginine.

Production of recombinant proteins can be valuable in studying their biological functions. However, recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli sometimes form undesirable insoluble aggregates. Solubilization and renaturation of these aggregates becomes a problem that one needs to solve. Here we used recombinant Cdc13(451-693)p as example to show the presence of l-arginine during renaturation greatly enhanced the renaturation efficiency. Cdc13p is the single-stranded telomere-binding protein of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The telomere-binding domain has been mapped within amino acids 451-693 of Cdc13p, Cdc13(451-693)p. Recombinant Cdc13(451-693)p was expressed in E. coli as insoluble protein aggregates. Purification of insoluble Cdc13(451-693)p was achieved by denaturing the protein with 6 M guanidine-HCl and followed by Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid agarose column chromatography. Renaturation of Cdc13(451-693)p to the active form was achieved by dialyzing denatured protein in the presence of l-arginine. Moreover, the presence of l-arginine was also helped in maintaining the telomere-binding activity of Cdc13(451-693)p. Taking together, l-arginine might have a general application in renaturation of insoluble aggregates.

Arginine↗

PubMed2001

Giant Hall effect in nonmagnetic granular metal films.

Nearly 3 orders of magnitude enhancement in the Hall coefficient is observed in Cu(x)-(SiO(2))(1--x) granular films. This large enhancement of the Hall coefficient not only is significantly larger than the prediction of the classical percolation theory, but also occurs at a metal concentration identified to be the quantum percolation threshold. Measurements of the electron dephasing length and magnetoresistance, plus the TEM characterization of microstructures, yield a physical picture consistent with the mechanism of the local quantum interference effect.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Comparative studies on the expression patterns of three troponin T genes during mouse development.

In vertebrates, three troponin T (TnT) genes, cardiac TnT (cTnT), skeletal muscle fast-twitch TnT (fTnT), and slow-twitch TnT (sTnT), have evolved for the regulation of striated muscle contraction. To understand the mechanism for muscle fiber-specific expression of the TnT genes, we compared their expression patterns during mouse development. Our data revealed that the TnT expression in the developing embryo was not as restricted as that in the adult. In addition to a strong expression in the developing heart beginning at day 7.5 p.c (postcoitum), the cTnT transcript was detected at later stages in some skeletal muscles, where beginning at day 11.75 p.c. the fTnT and sTnT genes were also expressed. Only sTnT but not fTnT was found transiently in the developing heart. At day 13.5 p.c., expressions of all three genes were detected in the developing tongue and this co-expression continued to day 16.5 p.c. with the fTnT isoform being predominant. At this stage, overlapping and distinct expression patterns of both sTnT and fTnT genes were also evident in many developing skeletal muscles. These data suggest that different muscles during development undergo a complex change in TnT isoforms resulting in different contractile properties. Unexpectedly, the cTnT transcript was persistently found in the developing bladder, where presumably smooth muscle is present. In transgenic mice, expression of a LacZ gene driven by a rat cTnT promoter (-497 to +192 bp) was very similar to that of the endogenous cTnT gene, suggesting that this promoter contained regulatory elements sufficient for the control of tissue-specific cTnT expression during development.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Specific binding of single-stranded telomeric DNA by Cdc13p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Cdc13p is a single strand telomere-binding protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae; its telomere-binding region is within amino acids 451-693, Cdc13(451-693)p. In this study, we used purified Cdc13p and Cdc13(451-693)p to characterize their telomere binding activity. We found that the binding specificity of single-stranded TG(1-3) DNA by these two proteins is similar. However, the affinity of Cdc13(451-693)p to DNA was slightly lower than that of Cdc13p. The binding of telomeric DNA by these two proteins was disrupted at NaCl concentrations higher than 0.3 m, indicating that electrostatic interaction contributed significantly to the binding process. Because both proteins bound to strand TG(1-3) DNA positioned at the 3' end, the 5' end, or in the middle of the oligonucleotide substrates, our results indicated that the location of TG(1-3) in single-stranded DNA does not appear to be important for Cdc13p binding. Moreover, using DNase I footprint analysis, the structure of the telomeric DNA complexes of Cdc13p and Cdc13(451-693)p was analyzed. The DNase I footprints of these two proteins to three different telomeric DNA substrates were virtually identical, indicating that the telomere contact region of Cdc13p is within Cdc13(451-693)p. Together, the binding properties of Cdc13p and its binding domain support the theory that the specific binding of Cdc13p to telomeres is an important feature of telomeres that regulate telomerase access and/or differentiate natural telomeres from broken ends.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

A crossed molecular beam study of the O(1D) + C(3)H(8) reaction: multiple reaction pathways.

The O((1)D) + C(3)H(8) reaction has been reinvestigated using the universal crossed molecular beam method. Three reaction channels, CH(3) + C(2)H(4)OH, C(2)H(5) + CH(2)OH, and OH + C(3)H(7), have been observed. All three channels are significant in the title reaction with the C(2)H(5) formation process to be the most important, while the CH(3) formation and the OH formation channels are about equal. Product kinetic energy distributions and angular distributions have been determined for the three reaction channels observed. The oxygen-containing radicals in the CH(3) and C(2)H(5) formation pathways show forward-backward symmetric angular distribution relative to the O atom beam, while the OH product shows a clearly forward angular distribution. These results indicate that the OH formation channel seems to exhibit different dynamics from the CH(3) and C(2)H(5) channels.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

State-to-state dynamics for O(1D)+D2-->OD+D: evidence for a collinear abstraction mechanism.

The O(1D)+D2-->OD+D reaction at two different collisional energies, 2.0 and 3.2 kcal/mol, is investigated by using the H(D) Rydberg "tagging" time-of-flight technique. Experimental results in this study indicate that the OD product is clearly more backward scattered relative to the O(1D) beam direction at the collisional energy of 3.2 kcal/mol. The extra backward scattered OD products are mostly in the highly vibrationally excited states (upsilon = 4,5,6), which is typical of a collinear abstraction mechanism. The experimental results in this work also provide a good testing bed for quantitative theoretical investigations of this benchmark system.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Cellular immune response against tropomyosin isoform 5 in ulcerative colitis.

We have reported an autoantibody response in ulcerative colitis (UC) against human tropomyosin isoform 5 (hTM5), the predominant colonic epithelial cell hTM isoform. In this report, we determined the number of IFN-gamma-secreting cells (spot-forming cells, SFC) against hTM5 by an enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. Another cytoskeletal protein, caldesmon, CaD40, was used as a control antigen. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated by a Ficoll density gradient from 28 patients with UC, 13 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), and 9 healthy subjects (HS). The mean (+/-SEM) SFC values against hTM5 in UC, CD, and HS were 48.8 +/- 8.1, 18.6 +/- 4.6, and 20.8 +/- 8.6, respectively. The value in UC was significantly higher than those in CD (P < 0.005) and HS (P < 0.025). SFC values in CD did not differ from those in HS. None of the 50 samples (except 1 UC) reacted to the CaD40 antigen. This study demonstrates, for the first time, a defined colon epithelial cell antigen, hTM5, that is capable of inducing a significant T cell response in UC but not in CD.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Presentation of striatal hyperintensity on T1-weighted MRI in patients with hemiballism-hemichorea caused by non-ketotic hyperglycemia: report of seven new cases and a review of literature.

Recent studies have shown unique clinicoradiologic characteristics in patients with hemiballism-hemichorea (HB-HC) caused by non-ketotic hyperglycemia; however, there is still a limited number of patients being reported. We report 7 patients (3 males and 4 females) with this type of dyskinesia, whose ages ranged from 60 to 84 years. Brain CT of these patients showed hyperdensity in the contralateral striatum, corresponding with MRI studies that showed an increased signal intensity on T1-weighted images and a decreased signal on T2-weighted images. After metabolic control had been achieved, the hyperkinetic state of these patients abruptly ceased. Follow-up neuroimaging studies in 2 patients documentied complete resolution of the striatal hyperintensity on brain CT and MRI after 3 months and 6 months, respectively. A review of patients with HB-HC caused by non-ketotic hyperglycemia reported formerly and in the present study shows that the dyskinesia tends to occur in aged diabetic patients. The age of patients with dyskinesia secondary to cerebral infarction is generelly much lower. We also found that 86% (30 out of 35 cases) patients reported with HB-HC caused by non-ketotic hyperglycemia were Asians. The prognosis of the dyskinesia was excellent, and the radiological abnormalities are completely reversible.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Memory effect on the dioxin emissions from municipal waste incinerator in Taiwan.

Evaluation of the dioxin removal efficiency of the air pollution control device (APCD) at an existing municipal waste incinerator (MWI) located in Taiwan is conducted via stack sampling and analysis. The MWI investigated is equipped with cyclones, dry lime scrubbing systems and fabric filters as APCDs. Results indicate that the patterns of dioxin isomers at APCDs' inlet and stack are similar. During the first year of carbon injection, the concentrations of emitted dioxin decreased greatly. The dioxin removal efficiency increased from 26.9% to 96.6% after injecting 115 kg/day activated carbon (AC). At the second year, the dioxin removal efficiency reaches 98.7% after injecting the same rate of AC continuously. The lower efficiency achieved with activated carbon injection (ACI) during the first year can be attributed to the memory effect, i.e. the dioxin or precursor desorbs slowly to the flue gas and increases the dioxin concentration at stack, resulting in a lower dioxin removal efficiency than expected.

Air Pollution↗