Familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC) is a genetic condition with a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including parkinsonism and dementia. Here, we identified mutations in SLC20A2, encoding the type III sodium-dependent phosphate transporter 2 (PiT2), in IBGC-affected families of varied ancestry, and we observed significantly impaired phosphate transport activity for all assayed PiT2 mutants in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Our results implicate altered phosphate homeostasis in the etiology of IBGC.

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Congenital nystagmus is characterized by involuntary, rhythmical, repeated oscillations of one or both eyes. We studied a large Chinese family with nystagmus as a prominent and consistent manifestation phenotype in nine patients to map and identify a disease-causing gene for nystagmus. X-linked recessive inheritance was observed in the family, and foveal hypoplasia was detected in some of the nine patients. The disease gene was mapped to an approximately 10.6 Mb region flanked by DXS996 and DXS7593 on Xp22 with a significant peak multipoint LOD score. Analysis of 21 candidate genes in the region revealed a novel p.S89F mutation in the second transmembrane domain of GPR143, a G protein-coupled receptor which causes ocular albinism when mutated. All male patients in the family were hemizygous for the mutation; the female carriers were heterozygous for the mutation. The p.S89F mutation was not identified in 100 normal females or 100 normal males. Our results indicate that a mutation in the GPR143 gene can cause a variant form of ocular albinism, with congenital nystagmus as the most prominent and only consistent finding in all patients in this Chinese family. These results expand the spectrum of clinical phenotypes associated with GPR143 mutations.

Idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by basal ganglia and extrabasal ganglia calcification, and usually inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. To date, two genetic loci for IBGC were identified on chromosomes 14q and 2q, but further genetic heterogeneity clearly exists. In this study, a large Chinese family with autosomal dominant IBGC was characterized. Linkage analysis excluded the 14q13 and 2q37 loci. The large family was then characterized by genome-wide linkage analysis to identify a novel genetic locus for IBGC. Significant linkage was identified with markers on chromosome 8p21.1-q11.23 with a maximum LOD score of 4.10. Fine mapping defined the new genetic locus within a 25 Mb region between markers D8S1809 and D8S1833. Future studies of the candidate genes at the 8p21.1-q11.23 locus may lead to identification of a disease-causing gene with IBGC.

TGF-β signaling plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of aneurysms; however, it is still unclear whether its role is protective or destructive. In this study, we investigate the role of SMAD3 in the pathogenesis of calcium chloride (CaCl2)-induced abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in Smad3−/−, Smad3+/− and Smad3+/+ mice. We find that loss of SMAD3 drastically increases wall thickening of the abdominal aorta. Histological analyses show significant vessel wall remodeling with elastic fiber fragmentation. Remarkably, under polarized light, collagen fibers in the hyperplastic adventitia of Smad3−/− mice show extensive reorganization accompanied by loosely packed thin and radial collagen fibers. The expressions of matrix metalloproteinases including MMP2, MMP9, and MMP12 and infiltration of macrophage/T cells are drastically enhanced in the vascular wall of Smad3−/− mice. We also observe marked increase of NF-κB and ERK1/2 signaling as well as the expression of nuclear Smad2, Smad4 and TGF-β1 in the vessel wall of Smad3−/− mice. In addition, we find that SMAD3 expression is reduced in the dedifferentiated medial smooth muscle-like cells of human AAA patients. These findings provide direct in vivo evidence to support the essential roles of SMAD3 in protecting vessel wall integrity and suppressing inflammation in the pathogenesis of AAAs.

Bioavailability is the most important factor for the efficacy of any drug and it is determined by P- glycoprotein (P-gp) expression. Confirmation of P-gp expression during ontogeny is needed for understanding the differences in therapeutic efficacy of any drug in juvenile and adult animals. In this study, Abcb1 mRNA levels in the liver and intestine of broilers during ontogeny were analysed by RT qPCR. Cellular distribution of P-gp was detected by immunohistochemstry. Age-related differences of enrofloxacin pharmacokinetics were also studied. It was found that broilers aged 4 week-old expressed significantly (P<0.01) higher levels of P-gp mRNA in the liver, jejunum and ileum, than at other ages. However, there was no significant (P>0.05) age-related difference in the duodenum. Furthermore, the highest and lowest levels of Abcb1 mRNA expression were observed in the jejunum, and duodenum, respectively. P-gp immunoreactivity was detected on the apical surface of the enterocytes and in the bile canalicular membranes of the hepatocytes. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that the 8 week-old broilers, when orally administrated enrofloxacin, exhibited significantly higher Cmax (1.97 vs. 0.98 μg•ml-1, P=0.009), AUC(14.54 vs. 9.35 μg•ml-1•h, P=0.005) and Ka (1.38 vs. 0.43 h-1, P=0.032), as well as lower Tpeak (1.78 vs. 3.28 h, P=0.048) and T1/2ka (0.6 vs. 1.64 h, P=0.012) than the 4 week-old broilers. The bioavailability of enrofloxacin in 8 week-old broilers was increased by 15.9%, compared with that in 4 week-old birds. Interestingly, combining verapamil, a P-gp modulator, significantly improved pharmacokinetic behaviour of enrofloxacin in all birds. The results indicate juvenile broilers had a higher expression of P-gp in the intestine, affecting the pharmacokinetics and reducing the bioavailability of oral enrofloxacin in broilers. On the basis of our results, it is recommended that alternative dose regimes are necessary for different ages of broilers for effective therapy.