ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effect of melatonin ( MLT) on the initiation of puberty in female mice and on the expression level of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases ( PI3K)/protein kinase B ( Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in the frypothalamus. Methods Seventy-eight 20-day-old female KM mice were randomly divided into melatonin (MLT) group and normal saline (NS) group, with 39 mice in each group. Starting at 22 days of age, the MLT group was given a subcutaneous injection of 1 mg/kg melatonin and the NS group was given an equal volume of saline. Thirty-two days of age were selected as the sampling point before puberty initiation and 13 mice were executed in each of the two groups, while 37 and 42 days of age were selected as the sampling point after puberty initiation and 13 mice were executed in each of the two groups. Observation of vaginal opening time in mice, weighing of ovaries and uterus to calculate organ indices. HE staining to observe the number of ovarian corpora lutea. The levels of serum luteinizing hormone (LH)were determined by ELISA. The mRNA and protein expression levels of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in frypothalamus were detected by Real-time PCR and Western blotting. Results Compared with the normal saline group, mice in the melatonin group had significantly delayed vaginal opening time ( P < 0. 05 ) , decreased significantly ovarian and uterine volume and index (P<0. 05) , decreased significantly serum LH levels (P<0. 05) , and decreased significantly mRNA and protein expression levels of the frypothalamic PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway (P<0. 05). Conclusion Melatonin delays puberty initiation in mice by a mechanism that ma)' be related to inhibition of the hypothalamic PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the gene mutation types and gene carrying rate of common thalassemia in patients with thalassemia in Quanzhou, and to analyze its molecular epidemiological characteristics in Quanzhou.@*METHODS@#546 patients with thalassemia diagnosed at the first hospital of Quanzhou from January 2017 to October 2018 were collected and retrospectively analyzed for their types of mutations and carrier rates.@*RESULTS@#Among the 4226 samples submitted, 546 positive samples were detected, the total carrying rate of the thalassaemia genes was 12.92%; the carrier rate of α-thalassemia was 8.16%; the carrier rate of β-thalassemia was 4.76%; There were more α-thalassemia missing patients than non-deleted patients. The Southeast Asian deletion type (-- /αα) was the most common one, with a composition ratio of 68.98%, which was followed by 22.61% (-α/αα), 2.61% (αα/αα), and 2.32% (αα/αα), 2.32% (αα/αα), 1.16% (-α/αα); 9 types of β-thalassemia gene mutations were detected. The most common three mutations were IVSII-654 (C→T, 42.29%), CD41-42 (-TTCT, 33.83%), CD17 (A→T, 12.94%). 2 cases of --/αα , 1 case of αα/ααα and 1 case of HKαα were detected.@*CONCLUSION@#This study shows that the gene carrying rate of thalassemia in Quanzhou is high and has diversity, which can provide some reference for the prevention and control of thalassemia in Quanzhou.
Subject(s)
Humans , China , Genotype , Mutation , Retrospective Studies , alpha-Thalassemia , beta-ThalassemiaABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the gene prevalence and spectrum of thalassemia in the women of childbearing age in quanzhou area.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Venous blood of the women were collected for study, all subjects were registered in each county of quanzhou area by using cluster sampling. Both the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were used for screening thalassemia．Genotyping of the screened positive samples was performed by gap single polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) and reverse dot blot (RDB) hybridization．Unknown positive samples were analyzed with DNA sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Out of all 7 082 samples, Three hundred and eighty four were identified as thalassemia gene carriers with a carrying rate of 5.42 %. The α and β thalassemia were 3.21% and 2.15% respectively. -- /αα was the most common genotype with 68.72 % in mutation types of α thalassemia, In addition gene, 2 cases of --/αα and 1 case of αα/ααα were also detected. IVS-Ⅱ-654/N and CD41-42/N were the most common gentypes with 75.00 % in mutation types of β thalassemia gene, 5 cases were found to be α β compogite thalassemia.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The carrying rate of thalassemia gene in quanzhou area is higher, and with the most common gentypes including -- /αα、IVSⅡ-654(C→T)/N and CD41-42(-TTCT)/N. The study results are beneficial for the screening of thalassemia in the genetic consultation and the prenatal gene diagnosis.</p>