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ObjectiveBioinformatics methods were used to systematically identify the Salvia miltiorrhiza terpenoid synthase （SmTPS） gene family members and predict their functions from the perspective of the genome. MethodThe genome and transcriptome data of S. miltiorrhiza， Arabidopsis thaliana， and tomato were obtained from the national genomics data center （NGDC）， national center for biotechnology information （NCBI）， the Arabidopsis information resource （TAIR）， and tomato functional genomics database （TFGD）， and the whole genome identification and bioinformatics analysis of the SmTPS gene family member were carried out with the help of Perl language programming， Tbtools， and other bioinformatics tools. ResultA total of 52 TPS gene family members were identified， and they were distributed on eight chromosomes of S. miltiorrhiza. Their coding amino acid number was 207-822 aa. The isoelectric points were 4.76-9.16. The molecular mass was 24.11-94.81 kDa， and all members are hydrophilic proteins. Gene structure analysis showed that there were significant differences in the number of introns among different subfamilies. The number of introns in 72.6% of TPS-a， b， and g subfamilies was 6， and that in 88.9% of TPS-c and e/f subfamilies was more than 10. Protein motifs were conserved among TPS subfamilies. The analysis of promoter cis-acting elements showed that all promoters of the SmTPSs contained a large number of light-responsive elements， and most of them had hormone-responsive elements. Gene expression analysis showed that SmTPS gene family members exhibited tissue-specific expression， and 24 of them responded to exogenous methyl jasmonate. ConclusionBased on the published S. miltiorrhiza genome， 52 SmTPS gene family members were identified， and their functions were predicted based on the phylogenetic analysis and expression patterns. This paper provides reference information for the further biosynthesis pathway and regulatory mechanism analysis of terpenoids in S. miltiorrhiza.
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Chronic kidney disease is characterized by renal structural damage and dysfunction （for over three months） caused by various factors. In traditional Chinese medicine， chronic kidney disease can be classified as edema， ischuria， consumptive disease， and anuria and vomiting. The pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease is frequently attributed to the deficiency of lung， spleen and kidney， dampness combined with stasis， and accumulation of turbid toxin. Huaiqihuang granules are a Chinese patent medicine composed of Vanderbylia robiniophila， Lycii Fructus， and Polygonati Rhizoma， with diverse pharmacological effects such as improving immunity and protecting kidney function. It is widely used in the treatment of cancer， chronic kidney disease， and respiratory system diseases. The available studies have demonstrated that Huaiqihuang granules can intervene in the progression of chronic kidney disease via various ways， such as protecting glomerular podocytes， inhibiting the proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells， resisting renal interstitial fibrosis， alleviating renal inflammation and oxidative stress， and regulating renal cell apoptosis and the immune system function. The clinical application of Huaiqihuang granules is based on conventional treatment and has achieved remarkable effects in the treatment of children's nephrotic syndrome， diabetic nephropathy， nephritis of Schonlein-Henoch purpura， IgA nephropathy， and chronic renal failure. Scholars have achieved great progress in the research on the mechanism and the clinical application of Huaiqihuang granules in the treatment of chronic kidney disease. However， the detailed summary of the progress in recent years remains to be carried out. Therefore， this paper reviewed the available studies in this field， aiming to provide a reference for the comprehensive and extensive clinical application of Huaiqihuang granules in the treatment of chronic kidney disease.
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Objective To study the difference ofLeonurus japonicus germplasm resources and provide good materials for breeding.Methods Totally 20 wildLeonurus japonicus germplasm resources from different places of China were collected. Experiment was conducted in homogeneous garden in Quzhou City of Zhejiang Province. Phenological phase, cold endurance and habitat adaptability were observed; the plant height, fresh weight and dry weight in early flowering were measured; the contents of stachydrine hydrochloride and leonurine hydrochloride were determined in early flowering and out-of-season cultivation.Results Considering the habitat adaptability, dry plant weight in early flowering, the contents of stachydrine hydrochloride and leonurine hydrochloride separately in early flowering and out-of-season cultivation, it was believed that the germplasms from Linbao County, Sheqi County in Henan Province and Guidong County in Hunan Province were better, in which Linbao germplasm was the best: the dry plant weight was 30.6 g, the content of stachydrine hydrochloride and leonurine hydrochloride were 1.31% and 0.19% respectively in early flowering, and were 3.44% and 0.37% respectively under anti-season cultivation, and it can be well adapted in Zhejiang Province.Conclusion The germplasm ofLeonurus japonicas from Lingbao can be the best materials for breeding.
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Objective To explore the diagnostic and differential diagnostic points of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated with fever.Methods Full clinical analysis was performed for a 62-year old patient with RA and fever.Results Hemophagocytes were found in bone marrows smear.Significantly increased ferritin level (74 299 ng/ml),decreased hemoglobin (67 g/L) and platelet (33×109/L),decreased fibrinogen,increased serum soluble CD25 (sCD25),positive cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA,positive CMV-PP65 antigen,were found by laboratory examination.Decreased activity of NK cells was detected by flow cytometry.Positron emission computed tomography (PET-CT) revealed splenomegaly and pulmonary inflammations.The clinical conditions were recovered with the treatment of corticosteroid,VP16,cyclosporine,anti-CMV virus therapy.Ferritin level was significantly decreased and platelet was normal.The patient was diagnosed as hemophagocytic syndrome associated with CMV infection.Conclusion The possibility of hemophagocytic syndrome should be considered in RA patients presented with fever.
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ObjectiveTo study the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombus in the main trunk and/or first branch of portal vein,and to clarify prognostic factors affecting survival.Methods From 2005 to 2009,there were 358 consecutive patients with HCC who underwent surgical resection in our Department.In 55 patients (15 ％),portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) was found intraoperatively or postoperatively during histopathological examinations to involve the first portal branch,main portal trunk,or contralateral portal branch.In this retrospective study,these 55 patients were divided into two groups:Group A,29 patients received postoperative TACE,and Group B,26 patients who did not receive TACE.The clinical data and survivals were compared between the two groups.Prognostic factors were indentified using univariate analysis,followed by multivariate regression analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the demographic clinical data between Group A and Group B.The overall 1-,2- and 3-year survivals for the 55 patients were 63.3 ％,51.4 ％ and 43.5 ％,respectively.The accumulative 1-,2- and 3-year survivals for group A were 71.4 ％,60.1 ％ and 50.1 ％,respectively.The corresponding figures for group B were 56.7％,21.7％ and 10.4％,respectively.Multiple tumors,intrahepatic metastases,hepatic vein thrombus,and invasive type of tumor thrombus were found to be risk factors for short-term survival on univariate analysis,while the latter 3 factors were further found to be significant prognostic factors in the Cox proportional hazards model.Postoperative TACE was shown to be a significant factor in both univariate and multivariate analyses.ConclusionLiver resection was beneficial for some patients with portal vein tumor thrombus.Postoperative TACE further improved the prognosis and prolonged survivals in these patients.
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Objective To measure plasma microRNAs dysregulated in patients with pancreatic cancer and to assess the potential of these miRNAs as biomarkers for pancreatic cancer.Methods Thirty-seven patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatic resection between June 2010 to July 2011 were enrolled in the Lihuili Hospital,and ten healthy volunteers were used as control in this study.The expression levels of miR-190,miR-196a,miR-221 and miR-222 were analyzed using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).U6 was used as an internal control.The relationships between clinicopathoiogic characteristics of pancreatic cancer and microRNA expression levels were analyzed.Results The relative abundances of plasma microRNAs were significantly higher in pancreatic cancer patients than in the control group.The highly expressed plasma miR-190,miR-196a,miR-221,miR-222 levels did not correlate with clinicopathologic characteristics of patients such as sex,age,tumor maximal diameter,and level of serum CA199.The plasma miR-196a levels showed a positive correlation with TNM stage in pancreatic cancer patients.Conclusions The plasma levels ofmiR-190,miR-196a,miR-221 and miR-222 were highly upregulated in pancreatic cancer patients.These microRNAs in plasma may provide a new method in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
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The amino group PEGylation of rhIFNomega with monomethoxy polyethylene glycol succinimidyl succinate (mPEG-SS, 20 000) was investigated, and the modified mixture was separated and purified by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Under the optimized purification conditions, the average content ofmono PEG-rhIFNomega in the collect liquid reached 182 microg x mL(-1). The average purified yield of mono PEG-rhIFNomega exceed to 22%, and the purity of mono PEG-rhIFNomega was greater than 98% by SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC. Relative molecular mass of mono PEG-rhIFNomega was 43 790 detected by MALDI-TOF MS. The apparent molecular mass measured by SDS-PAGE was about 60 810. The purified PEG-rhIFNomega has the characteristics of typical PEGylated protein. Activity reservation rate of mono PEG-rhIFNomega was 15.0%, while the antigenicity decreased by at least 64 folds. In addition, the acid stability, thermal stability and stability in serum and trypsin solution of mono PEG-rhIFNomega were markedly better than those of the rhIFNomega. The pharmacological properties of mono PEG-rhIFNomega were significantly improved. The prepared PEG-rhIFNomega might be developed to a novel safe and long-acting interferon.
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Objective To study the inhibitory effect of verapamil and nicardipine on human scar fibroblast in serum-free culture and to compare the effectness of the two drugs.Methods We used MTT method to detect the effect of two drugs on human scar fibroblast proliferation:adding verapamil and nicardipine with different concentrations in the culture of fibroblasts which were in logarithmic growth phase (150,100,50,10,0μmol/L).After 24,72,and 120 h,we used MTT method to detect the cell proliferation,and converted the absorbance into growth inhibitory ratio.Results Verapamil and nicardipine showed the definite inhibition on the hypertrophic scar fibroblast (HSFB) and keloid fibroblast (KDFB) which were cultured in vitro.There was some difference in the action feature.In the earlier period,the effect of verapamil was powerful than that of nicardipine.With time,the effect did not reinforce.When fibroblast had been cultured for three to five days,the inhibition became weak.But nicardipine showed lasting inhibition on fibroblast proliferation.Conclusion Combination of verapamil with nicardipine may be a valuable method in the treatment of scar.
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AIM: To establish a HPLC digitized fingerprints of Panax Ginseng rubra to control its quality. METHODS: The chromatographic fingerprints were determined by injecting 20 ?L of the sample solution each time on a Century SIL C_ 18 AQ column (20 cm?4.6 mm, 5 ?m) with the gradient elution solvent system composed of 0.1 mol/L NaH_2PO_4 aqueous solution-acetonitrile. The flow rate was 1 mL/min, the column temperature was maintained at (30?0.15)℃ and the signals were acquired at 203 nm. The chromatographic fingerprints were evaluated by both the chromatographic fingerprint index (F) and the information index of chromatographic fingerprint (I) and so on. RESULTS: 30 co-possessing peaks were selected as the fingerprint peaks and the similarities between each of the ten batches and the referential chromatographic fingerprints of Panax Ginseng rubra were calculated while taking adenosine peak as the reference peak. CONCLUSION: This method with good characteristics and specificity can be used in the quality control of Panax Ginseng rubra.