Spectrum of thalassemia mutations in fetuses of Han and Li ethinicities in Hainan province, China

To analyze the frequency and spectrum of thalassemia mutations in amniotic fluid samples collected from Han and Li people in Hainan province of China. Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis on prenatal diagnosis of amniotic fluid samples collected from pregnant women who may have next generation with high risks of medium or severe thalassemia between 2005 and 2016. Diverse fetal thalassemia genotypes and mutated alleles in Han and Li people were analyzed and cmpared. Results: We examined 536 amniotic fluid samples from Han people and 588 from Li people, among which 406 Han and 500 Li samples were found to carry at least one thalassemia gene mutation, with a detection rate of 75.75% and 85.03%, respectively. Among all - and β-thalassemia mutant alleles detected, the most frequently found mutations in Han and Li samples were SEA-type of -thalassemia and 41/42 (-CTTT) of β-thalassemia, respectively. A total of 75 severe thalassemia cases were identified in Han samples and 53 in Li samples. In most of these severe cases, parents chose to terminate pregnancy after being informed of thalassemia-related risks. Conclusions: The thalassemia mutations shows ethnic and area specificity, and that prenatal diagnosis for high-risk thalassemia carrier pregnant women is an efficient approach to prevent and control the occurrence of severe thalassemia in the high-prevalence areas.

Expression level of pluripotent genes in incomplete reprogramming

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the expression levels of pluripotent genes among incomplete reprogrammed colonies and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), to explore the relationship between the expression of pluripotent genes and incomplete reprogramming.@*METHODS@#Four genes (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, C-Myc) were introduced into human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) by retroviruses. The HFFs were induced to reprogramming. Different forms of colonies were picked up, analyzed, and compared with iPSCs from different aspects, including the morphology of clones, alkaline phosphatase (AP) staining, immuno-fluorescence, and Q-PCR.@*RESULTS@#In the reprogramming process, different colonies were emerged, some of them exhibited typical human embryonic stem cell morphology (eg., compact colonies, high nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratios, and prominent nucleoli). However, these colonies couldn't maintain these characters after passage. There was an intermediate state, named partially reprogramming. Through analysis and identification, AP staining results were weakly positive, compared with iPSC colonies. The immuno-fluorescence staining demonstrated these colonies just expressed pluripotent protein Oct4. Q-PCR indicated that the expression of exogenous transcription factors was inappropriate, either at a high level or at a low level. Most of the endogenous pluripotency genes were expressed at a low level.@*CONCLUSIONS@#It may be one of the causes of incomplete reprogramming that the exogenous pluripotent gene is low-expressed or over-expressed, and successful reprogramming may depend on a specific stoichiometric balance of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc.

Outcome of conventional IVF and ICSI on sibling oocytes in moderate oligoasthenozoospermia

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of patients with moderate oligoasthenozoospermia treated with conventional in vitro fertilization [IVF] and intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI]

Methods: A total of 99 couples with moderate oligoasthenozoospermia undergoing their first IVF/ICSI cycle were included in the study. Sibling oocytes were randomized to be inseminated either by conventional IVF or ICSI. Fertilization rate, cleavage rate, embryo quality, implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy rate were examined

Results: There was no difference in the fertilization rate, cleavage rate, implantation rate, and pregnancy rate between conventional IVF and ICSI [P > 0.05]. The good quality embryo rate was significant difference between after IVF and after ICSI [P < 0.05]

Conclusions: Couples with moderate oligoasthenozoospermia did not influence the major indices of IVF and the uncertainties concerning the safety of ICSI, couples with moderate oligoasthenozoospermia need not be subjected to ICSI

Effect of volatile oil of amomum on expressions of platelet activating factor and mastocarcinoma-related peptide in the gastric membrane of chronic gastritis patients with helicobacter-pylori infection / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of volatile oil of amomum (VOA) on the expressions of mastocarcinoma-related peptide (PS2) and platelet activating factor (PAF) in helicobacter pyloriassociated gastritis (HPG) and to analyze its potential mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty patients with HPG were randomly assigned to two groups, 42 patients in the treated group treated with 0.5 mL VOA, thrice per day; and the 38 patients in the control group receiving Western tertiary medicinal treatment. Gastroscopic picture and helicobacter pylori (HP) infection (by quick urease and Warthin-Starry stain) of the gastro-membrane, expressions of PS2 and PAF (by immunohistochemical assay and Western blotting) as well as the contents of aminohexose and phospholipid (by Neuhaus method) in the gastric membrane of all patients were detected before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. The clinical efficacy in the two groups was compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate in the treated group was 88.1%, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (78.9%, P<0.05). After treatment, in the treated group, gastric membranous contents of aminohexose and phospholipid was increased, expression of PS2 elevated but that of PAF lowered, all showing significant difference as compared with those in the control group (P<0.01). In the control group, the expressions of PS2 and PAF changed insignificantly. The radical eliminating rate of HP in the treated group and the control group was insignificantly different between them (76.1% vs. 65.8%, P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The mechanism of VOA for anti-gastritis might be related with its action in increasing the expression of PS2 and decreasing the expression of PAF, and thus regulating the hydrophobicity of the gastric membrane.</p>

Committed hematopoeitic differentiation of embryonic stem cell / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore a stable technology for inducing ES cell to committed hematopoietic differentiation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The effects of various inductive factors on BLast Colony-Forming Cell (BL-CFC) were investigated. In vitro differentiative system for ES cells was employed in this study.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A high linear correlation between the number of D3.5 EB-derived cells plated and the number of blast cell colonies was developed, r = 0.9931. With high frequency of blast colonies observed (1.08-1.2 colonies per 100 cells). 20%-30% D4T conditioned medium (D4T CM) showed the most significant growth potentials of blast colonies. D4T CM, EPO or KL alone had no blast colony growth promoting effect (P > 0.05). But VEGF alone had high significant blast colony growth promoting effect (P < 0.001). However, any two factors combination from above four factors exerted better growth promoting effect than VEGF alone (EPO + D4T CM, P < 0.05; KL + D4T CM, P < 0.01; VEGF + D4T CM, P < 0.001). There were no significant difference among VEGF + KL and EPO + D4T CM or KL + D4T CM, and KL + D4T CM (P > 0.05). While the combination of VEGF + D4T CM was better than KL + D4T CM, VEGF + KL or EPO + D4T CM (P < 0.001). Moreover, the combination of VEGF + KL + D4T CM + EPO, had the highest significant blast colony growth promoting effect (P < 0.001). And the highest frequency of blast colonies was observed (1.5-1.2 colonies per 100 cells).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>VEGF may be the main factor which stimulates the growth of significant numbers of blast cell colonies. D4T CM maybe contains strong cofactors. EPO and KL are the main factors for the induction of BL-CFC to committed hematopoietic differentiation. D3.5 EB-derived cells are more sensitive to various stimulators and have strong blast colony growth promoting effect than that of D3.25 EB-derived cells.</p>