Construction of aquaporin 9 gene knockout mice using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system / 解剖学报

Objective To construct homozygous aquaporin 9(AQP-9)

Dihydromyricetin down-regulating the expression of nod-like receptor protein-3 in the brain tissue of ischemic stroke in rats / 解剖学报

[Abstract] Objective To investigate the role of dihydromyricetin (DHM) in the treatment of ischemic stroke in rats, and to explore the effect of DHM on the expression of inflammasome. Methods The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was induced by endovascular suture method. The therapeutic effect and mechanism of DHM were investigated by Longa score, TTC staining, Nissl staining, immunohistochemical staining and Western bloting. Results After DHM treatment, the motor capacity of MCAO rats was significantly improved, the infarct volume was significantly reduced, the brain structure and neuron morphology were improved, and the expressions of nod-like receptor protein-3 (NLRP3) and interleukin-1(IL-1) decreased significantly. Conclusion DHM can down-regulate the expression of NLRP3 and thus reduces the cerebral infarction volume and improves neurobehavioral performance in MCAO rats.

Relationship of pathogenesis between ischemic stroke and vascular dementia / 解剖学报

Ischemic stroke could cause brain damage and subsequent cognitive or behavioral disorders. Studies have shown that ischemic stroke is a risk factor of vascular dementia, involving common pathophysiological processes and similar risk factors, which are related in pathogenesis, including endothelial dysfunction and the disrupted blood-brain barrier permeability. Micro infarct, microvascular changes, brain atrophy and neurodegenerative changes may be the pathological mechanism of secondary vascular dementia. However, the specific mechanism of the two is still not fully clarified, which will become the focus of future research.

Salvinorin A alleviating cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the effect of salvinorin A (SA) on alleviating cerebral vasospasm (CVS) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods The SAH models were established by endovascular perforation method. Adult male SD rats (n = 91) were randomly divided into the sham group (sham), SAH model group (SAH), control group (SAH+DMSO) and drug administration group (SAH + SA). SA and DMSO were diluted with saline, and injected intraperitoneally at hour 24, hour 48 and hour 72 after SAH. At hour 72 after SAH, the neurological score was evaluated. The diameter and wall thickness of the internal carotid artery were observed through HE staining. Endothelin 1 (ET-1) ELISA kit and nitric oxide (NO) kit were used to observe the ET-1 concentration and NO content on the blood vessels of Willis circle. The expression of phosphorglated PI3K (p-PI3K), PI3K, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) proteins were detected by Western blotting and the location of eNOS protein was observed by immunofluorescent staining. Results At hour 72 after SAH, SA could increase the neurological score, increase the vessel diameter and reduce the wall thickness of internal carotid artery. SA could reduce the ET-1 concentration and increase NO content in the blood vessels of Willis circle at hour 72 after SAH. SA could increase the ratio of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt and the expression of eNOS proteins, which could be inhibited by PI3K inhibitor wortmannin and eNOS inhibitor L-NAME. eNOS expressed in vascular endothelial cells was detected by the immunofluorescence staining. Conclusion SA can alleviate CVS after SAH through PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway.

Current progress in cryopreservation of small numbers of sperm / 中华男科学杂志

Human sperm cryopreservation is an increasingly mature technique in assisted reproduction. However, conventional sperm cryopreservation is not suitable for the cryopreservation of small numbers of sperm. The solution to the cryopreservation of small numbers of sperm may contribute a lot to the clinical treatment of asthenospermia, oligospermia and azoospermatism. Recently, many researchers focus on searching for appropriate carriers for the cryopreservation of small numbers of sperm. This article outlines the effects of current cryopreservation methods including empty zona pellucida, microdrops, other mocrocarriers, testicular tissue cryopreservation and testicular sperm and epididymal sperm refrigeration.

Prenatal genetic study of fetuses with congenital heart diseases / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the genetic abnormalities of fetuses with congenital heart diseases (CHD), and to provide guidance for the management of pregnancy and genetic counseling.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-one fetuses with CHD detected by fetal echocardiography were analyzed by karyotyping after amniocentesis, cordocentesis or chorionic sampling. Then 22q11.2 deletion/duplication was detected by a competitive fluorescent multiplex short tandem repeat assay in 47 CHD fetuses without chromosomal abnormalities. With fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using LSI dual color DNA probe, the deletion/duplication status was confirmed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thirty-four of 81 CHD fetuses had chromosomal anomalies, and 1 of the 47 CHD fetuses without chromosomal anomalies had duplication at chromosome 22q11. The incidence of aneuploidy associated CHD was 43.2%. The rate of chromosomal anomalies is higher in the cases associated with extra-cardiac anomalies than in that with isolated CHD (64.5% versus 28.0%). In the 35 fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities, 19 (54.3%) were trisomy 18.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Chromosomal abnormalities occurred in 43.2% of CHD cases and trisomy 18 is the most common aneuploidy. The likelihood of chromosomal anomaly increases when there is extracardiac involvement. Testing for the 22q11.2 microdeletion/duplication is recommended in all CHD fetuses without chromosomal anomalies. It is important for the further management of pregnancy and genetic counseling.</p>

Pifithrin-alpha reduces cerebral vasospasm by attenuating apoptosis of endothelial cells in a subarachnoid haemorrhage model of rat / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The mechanism of cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is not understood. Here, we hypothesized that apoptosis of endothelial cells induced by p53 and its target gene em dash p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) played an important role in development of cerebral vasospasm. We also observed the effects of a p53 inhibitor, pifithrin-alpha (PFT-alpha), on reducing the expression of p53 and PUMA, consequently decreasing the apoptosis of endothelial cells and alleviating cerebral vasospasm.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 300-350 g were randomly divided into five groups: a control group (sham surgery), a SAH group, a SAH+dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group, a SAH + PFT-alpha (0.2 mg/kg) group and a SAH + PFT-alpha (2.0 mg/kg) group. PFT-alpha was injected intraperitoneally immediately after SAH. Rats were sacrificed 24 hours after SAH. Western blot and immunohistochemical staining were used to detect the levels of p53, PUMA and caspase-3 protein. In addition, mortality and neurological scores were assessed for each group. Statistical significance was assured by analysis of variance performed in one way ANOVA followed by the Tukey test. The neurological and mortality scores were analyzed by Dunn's method and Fisher exact test, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After SAH, Western blot and immunohistochemical staining showed the levels of p53, PUMA and caspase-3 in the endothelial cells and the numbers of TdT mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) positive endothelial cells were all significantly increased in the basilar arteries (P<0.05), but significantly reduced by PFT-alpha (P<0.05). These changes were accompanied by increasing diameters and declining wall thickness of basilar arteries (P<0.05), as well as reduced mortality and neurological deficits of the rats (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>PFT-alpha could protect cerebral vessels from development of vasospasm and improve neurological outcome as well as reduce the mortality via suppressing apoptosis induced by p53 in the endothelial cells of cerebral vessels.</p>

Genetic effects of workers occupationally exposed to mercury using three genetic end-points / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigating genetic effects of workers occupationally exposed to mercury (Hg).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The peripheral lymphocytes from 20 workers exposed to mercury and 20 controls were measured with micronucleus test, comet assay, hrpt gene mutation test and TCR gene mutation test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean micronuclei rate(MNR) and mean micronucleated cells rate(MCR) in 20 workers were (5.90 +/- 0.91) per thousand and (5.30 +/- 0.81) per thousand, respectively while MNR and MCR in controls were (1.50 +/- 0.47) per thousand and (1.30 +/- 0.31) per thousand respectively, The difference of MNR and MCR between workers and controls was very significant (P < 0.01). The mean tail length (MTL) of workers and controls were (3.16 +/- 0.31) and (0.99 +/- 0.07) microm, respectively. The mean tail moment (MTM) of workers and controls were 1.63 +/- 0.22 and 0.39 +/- 0.03, respectively, There was a significant difference in MTL and MTM between workers and controls(P < 0.01). When the average mutation frequencies (Mfs-hprt) of hprt and (Mfs-TCR) of TCR of workers were compared with those of controls, there were not significant difference (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results of the investigation indicated that the adverse genetic effects in workers occupationally exposed to mercury could be detected.</p>

Genetic relationships among Fructus Aurantii cultivars revealed by ISSR / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>A total of 27 samples belonging to 5 cultivars of Fructus Aurantii (Citrus aurantium), i. e. cv. Xiucheng, cv. Xiangcheng, cv. Lecheng, cv. Jizicheng, and cv. Youzicheng, collected at Changfu and Huanggang, Zhangshu City, Jiangxi Province, were assayed to reveal the genetic relationship among the cultivars and the accordance between morphological and molecular markers.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Cultivar identification was based on morphology and cultivar relationship was based on Inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR).</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Twenty out of 40 ISSR primers screened generated 392 loci across all 27 samples with 315 informative loci. The UPGMA dendrogram showed that samples within cv. Xiucheng and cv. Xiangcheng from Changfu were closely related. However, samples of cv. Lecheng, cv. Jizicheng and cv. Youzicheng from Huanggang, or cv. Xiucheng and cv. Xiangcheng from both Changfu and Huanggang did not exhibited close relationships within each cultivars.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Based on morphology the same cultivar grown in different plantations, or even within a single plantation sometimes do not show close genetic relationship, indicating diverse origin of the cultivars. Synonyms or homonyms are believed to common phenomenon in Fructus Aurantii production. To solve the problem ISSR markers can serve a kind of molecular markers which are preferable to partition genetic variations within and between cultivars and to establish genetic relationships among them.</p>

Treatment of AIDS patients with Chinese medicinal herbs qudu zengning capsule / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the therapeutic effect of QuDu ZengNing Capsule on AIDS.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>QuDu ZengNing Capsule is a capsule containing extract from 4 Chinese medicinal herbs. Totally 1,000 AIDS patients were treated, among them 60 patients were clinically observed weekly. Blood routine tests, liver, heart and kidney function, X-ray, CD4, CD8 cells were examined before and after treatment at 1, 3, 6 month. The patients were treated with 4 capsules t.i.d for 6 months.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The symptoms were improved in most of the patients, the CD4 cells increased from 115.0 to 295.2/ul and the viral load (RNA copies/ml) in most patients reduced markedly or maintained at the same level.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These data indicated that QuDu ZengNing Capsule was effective for treatment of AIDS patients.</p>