Astragalin Inhibits Apoptosis of Cerebral Cortex Neurons in APP/PS1 Mice / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Astragalin （AST） on apoptosis of cerebral cortex neurons in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. MethodsEighteen six-month-old male APP/PS1 transgenic mice were randomly divided into APP/PS1 group， APP/PS1+ 40 mg/kg AST group and APP/PS1+ 20 mg/kg Donepezil （DNP） group， with six mice in each group. At the same time， six male C57BL/6 mice were selected as the normal control group. After intraperitoneal injection of AST once a day and continuous administration for one month， we used Tunel staining to detect the apoptosis of neurons in the cerebral cortex of APP/PS1 mice； immunofluorescent staining to examine the expression of apoptosis-related proteins Bax， Bcl-2， Caspase9 and Cleaved-Caspase3 in the cerebral cortex neurons of APP/PS1 mice； Western blot method to evaluate the changes of the expression of Bax， Bcl-2， Caspase9 and Caspase3. ResultsTunel staining showed that 40 mg/kg AST and 20 mg/kg DNP both reduced the apoptosis of neurons in the cerebral cortex of APP/PS1 mice， AST with more significant inhibition effect. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that 40 mg/kg AST and 20 mg/kg DNP both inhibited the expression of Bax， Caspase9， and Cleaved-Caspase3， and icreased the expression of Bcl-2 in the cerebral cortex neurons of APP/PS1 mice. Western blot results further confirmed that 40 mg/kg AST and 20 mg/kg DNP both down-regulated the expression of Bax （P < 0.05， P < 0.05）， Caspase9 （P < 0.005， P < 0.05） and Caspase3 （P < 0.0001， P < 0.0001） ， and up-regulated the expresstion of Bcl-2 （P < 0.05， P < 0.05） in the cerebral cortex neurons of APP/PS1 mice. ConclusionsAST can inhibit the apoptosis of cerebral cortex neurons in APP/PS1 mice.

Research progress of anti-seizure medication combination therapy / 中华神经科杂志

Epilepsy is one of the most common and disabling chronic neurological diseases. About 70% of patients with epilepsy can be fully controlled by available anti-seizure medications, while the remaining 20%-30% are drug-resistant. Drug-resistant epilepsy is also known as refractory epilepsy, and refractory epilepsy usually requires a combination of anti-seizure medications. A reasonable combination of anti-seizure medications can reduce the frequency or even the freedom of seizures. To this end, this article summarized the general principles of anti-seizure medications combination therapy, tolerance and drug interaction, combination and synergism in human studies, and the application of non-ionic anti-seizure medications in combination therapy of refractory epilepsy by reviewing the literature, to improve clinicians′ understanding of combination therapy with anti-seizure medications for refractory epilepsy.

Clinical Effect of Zhiwei Pill of Bile Reflux Gastritis with Symptoms of Disharmony of Liver and Stomach / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Zhiwei pill for bile reflux gastritis （BRG） with symptoms of disharmony of liver and stomach， evaluate the safety after treatment by three-arm study， and investigate the regulatory action to gastrointestinal hormones. Method:One hundred and eighty patients were randomly divided into placebo group （60 cases）， control group （60 cases） and observe group （60 cases） by random number table. Patients in three groups got lifestyle intervention of non-drug therapy. Patients in control group got hydrotalcite tablets 1-2 hours after meal or untimely bedtime or in case of stomach pain， 2 tablets/time， 3 times/day. Patients in placebo group got simulated medicine of Zhiwei pill 1 hour after meal， 6 g/time， 3 times/day. Patients in observe group got Zhiwei pill 1 hour after meal， 6 g/time， 3 times/day. The treatment continued for 4 weeks in all 3 groups. Before and after treatment， scores were graded for symptoms of disharmony of liver and stomach and patient reported outcome （PRO） scale for patients with chronic gastrointestinal diseases. Gastroscopy was taken to grade the scores of bile reflux and mucosa under gastroscope. Levels of gastrin （GAS）， motilin （MTL）， cholecystokinin （CCK）， substance P （SP） and gastrointestinal hormones were detected. Efficacy for traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） syndrome and efficacy under gastroscope were compared， and safety after treatment was evaluated. Result:After treatment， the total scores of the main symptoms and 7 secondary symptoms of disharmony of liver and stomach in observe group were all lower than those in placebo group and control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and scores of symptoms of disharmony of liver and stomach and PRO were all lower than those in control group and placebo group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. After treatment， scores of degree of bile reflux and mucosa under gastroscope in observe group were all lower than those in placebo group and control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Level of CCK was lower than that in placebo group and control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， while levels of MTL， GAS and SP were higher than those in placebo group and control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Total effective rate of TCM syndrome was 91.38%（53/58）， higher than 71.93%（41/57） in control group and 34.62%（18/52） in placebo group. The total effective rate in gastroscopy was 93.10%（54/58）， higher than 78.95%（45/57） in control group and 28.85%（15/52） in placebo group （<italic>P</italic><0.05 or <italic>P</italic><0.01）. No adverse reactions related to Zhiwei pill were found. Conclusion:Zhiwei pill can improve bile reflux， promote the healing of mucosa under gastroscope， regulate gastrointestinal hormones， improve gastrointestinal motor function， significantly alleviate clinical symptoms， and improve quality of life， with better efficacy for TCM syndrome and efficacy in gastroscopy， and it is safe for clinical use.

Regulatorg Mchanism of MiR-152 on Proliferation, Metastasis and Tumorigenicity of SHI-1 Cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the regulatory mechanism of miR-152 on proliferation, metastasis and tumorigenesis of human acute monocytic leukemia SHI-1 cells.@*METHODS@#The purchased SHI-1 cell line was treated with miR-152 over-expression (miR-152 agomir group) or miR-152 inhibition (miR-152 antagomir group), and the negative control (NC) group was set up. The cell proliferation of each group was detected by CCK-8 assay. Scratch healing assay was employed to determine the migration of cells. Transwell assay was used to measure the invasion of cells. The expressions of Cyclin D1, Caspase-3, MMP-2, TIMP-2, E-cadherin and N-cadherin were detected by Western blot. The flow cyronetry with annexin V-FITC/PI double staining was applied to detect the cell apoptosis. The tumorigenesis of cells was examined by tumor formation experiment in nude mice.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the NC group, the cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability in miR-152 agomir group were significantly decreased (P＜0.05), while that in miR-152 antagomir were significantly up-regulated (P＜0.05) . Compared with the NC group, the protein expression of Cyclin D1, MMP-2, N-cadherin were down-regulated in miR-152 agomir group, but the protein expression of Caspase-3, TIMP-2 and E-cadherin were all up-regulated siginificantly. At the same time, the apoptosis were enhanced, but the timorigenicity in nude mice were significantly decreased (all P＜0.05). The protein expression of Cyclin D1, MMP-2, N-cadherin in miR-152 antagomir group, showed high levels but Caspase-3, TIMP-2 and E-cadherin protein showed low levels in comparison with NC group. At the same time, the apoptosis was decreased but the timorigenicity in nude mice was significantly enhanced (all P＜0.05) .@*CONCLUSION@#miR-152 can inhibit the proliferation, metastasis and tumorigenesis of SHI-1 cell line, at the same time induce cell apoptosis, thus providing a theoretical basis for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Absorbed components analysis of Zhitong Huazheng Capsules in rat serum by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS / 中国中药杂志

To identify and analyze the constituents in rat serum after oral administration of Zhitong Huazheng capsule (ZTHZC), and provide a reference for its further research on pharmacodynamics material basis. Female Wistar rats were selected as experimental animals, and received intragastric administration of ZTHZC at a dose of 1.5 g·kg⁻¹. After the serum samples were collected, the absorbed prototype components in rat serum were identified and analyzed by using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) combined with multivariate statistical analysis．The results showed, a total of fifteen absorbed constituents were identified, all of which were prototype components, including Danshensu, salvianolic acid A, B, C, D, 9,12-dihydroxy-15-nonadecanoicacid, linoleic acid, ethyl palmitoleate, tetrahydropalmatine, fumarate A, astragaloside A, astragaloside II, saponin, locustin and luteolin. This experiment showed that these fifteen components absorbed into blood may be the potential bioactive components in ZTHZC, providing a scientific basis for clarifying its material basis in pharmacodynamics.

Association of polymorphism of β3-adrenergic receptor gene and the leptin gene with Kazak obese children in Xinjiang / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To investigate the association between C2549A polymorphism of leptin gene and the Trp64Arg polymorphism of the β3-adrenergic receptor gene(β3-AR gene) and obesity in Kazak school-age children.Methods Totally 92 obese children and 71 healthy controls were selected from 6 to 12 years old in Kazak school-age children from the area around Urumqi.Genotype of the C2549A polymorphism of leptin gene and the Trp64Arg polymor phism of β3-AR gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism methods.Results 1.The difference in distribution of the β3-AR gene Trp64Arg genotype of obesity and healthy controls of Kazak children was statistically significant (x2 =10.472,P ＜ 0.05),but the difference in distribution of the alleles was not statistically significant (x2 =3.541,P ＞ 0.05).2.The differences in distribution of the leptin C2549A genotype and alleles of the 2 groups were all statistically significant,and the odds ratio of the alleles(0.608) and 95％ CI 0.380-0.972 suggested that the mutation occurrence of obesity might have certain protective effect.3.The difference in distribution of the genotype of β3-AR gene Trp64Arg polymorphism and leptin gene promoter area C2549A polymorphism in the same individual joint action of 2 groups was statistically significant (x2 =15.978,P ＜ 0.05),but the difference in distribution of the alleles in the same individual joint action of 2 groups was not statistically significant (x2 =6.362,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions 1.There were distributions of the Trp64Arg polymorphism of β3-AR gene and the C2549A polymorphism of leptin gene in Kazak school-aged children in Xinjiang.2.These results suggested that C2549A mutation of leptin gene might have certain protective effect in Kazak children obesity,and the Trp64Arg polymorphism of β3-AR gene might be associated with Kazak children obesity.3.These results suggested that the Trp64Arg polymorphism of β3-AR gene and the C2549A polymorphism of leptin gene in the same individual joint action might be associated with Kazak children obesity in Xinjiang.

Diagnostic value of serum cysteine leukotriene levels for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To assess the clinical value of the measurement of cysteine leukotriene (CysLTs) concentration in serum as a diagnostic predictor to screen the obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in children.Methods Serum CysLTs concentration was measured with ELISA kit in 75 patients with snoring before per.forming polysomnography (PSG).Subsequently,all the subjects underwent PSG test.Forty-one subjects were diagnosed as OSAHS,and 34 subjects didn't have OSAHS.These 34 non-OSAHS subjects were served as control group.Among the OSAHS group,25 subjects were the Han nationality and 12 subjects were the Uyghur nationality.According to apnea hyponea index(AHI),the OSAHS group was divided into 3 groups,which were light,moderate and severe groups.And the serum CysLTs level of the OSAHS group was taken for correlation analysis with the sleep respiratory parameters.Compared with the PSG results,the clinical value of the measurement of CysLTs concentration in serum was taken as a diagnostic predictor to screen patients with OSAHS in children.Results 1.The serum CysLTs level of OSAHS group [(683.102 ±89.825) ng/L] was significantly higher than that in the control group [(461.985 ± 84.951) ng/L] (P ＜ 0.05).And it was correlated positively with AHI,longest apnea time,sleep apnea low aeration time (r =0.417,0.422,0.208,all P ＜ 0.05),but correlated negatively with the lowest oxygen saturation and the mean oxygen saturation (r =-0.192,-0.255,all P ＜ 0.05).2.The serum CysLTs level [(773.118 ± 92.015) ng/L] in severe OSAHS group was significantly higher than that in the moderate OSAHS group [(712.144 ± 41.331) ng/L] (P ＜ 0.05),and much more significantly higher than that in the light OSAHS group [(642.206 ± 77.250) ng/L] (P ＜ 0.05).3.When the serum CysLTs level was 560.872 ng/L,there was the best critical point with the highest sensitivity rate (92.7％)and specificity rate (94.1％),and the lowest misdiagnosis rate and the false dismissal rate,as diagnose accordance rate was 93.3％.4.The serum CysLTs level of Han [(704.417 ± 77.149) ng/L] was higher than that of Uygur [(628.053 ± 105.443) ng/L],and there was significant difference between the 2 groups (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Serum CysLTs level is closely related with the severity of OSAHS.There is difference in serum CysLTs level between different nationalities.The serum CysLTs level of the Han nationality is higher than the Uygnr nationality.The serum level of CysLTs may be used as a predictor in screening 0SAHS children and a biological marker of the severity of OSAHS children.

Expression of RAGE-1 gene in acute myeloid leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

The purpose of this study was to detect the expression of RAGE-1 transcript in the bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to investigate the relationship of RAGE-1 expression level with clinical variables. The expression level of RAGE-1 gene in BMMNC from 94 newly diagnosed AML patients was measured using RQ-PCR. The relationship between RAGE-1 expression level and clinical parameters (age, sex, blood cell counts, diagnosis and prognosis) was investigated, and the levels of RAGE-1 expression were compared in patients before and after treatment. The results showed that overexpression of RAGE-1 transcript was found in 28% (26/94) AML patients (1.34 - 16.34, median 3.07). No significant difference was observed in sex, age, blood parameters and FAB subtypes between the groups with and without RAGE-1 overexpression. There was also no significant difference in the frequency of RAGE-1 overexpression among different cytogenetic risk groups and among the patients with different types of karyotypes. The level of RAGE-1 transcript significantly decreased in those patients obtained complete remission after treatment. The overall survival of AML patients with RAGE-1 overexpression was similar as that in those without RAGE-1 overexpression. It is concluded that RAGE-1 overexpression is a common event in AML, but has no impact on the prognosis of patients.

Expression of SALL4 gene in patients with acute and chronic myeloid leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression level of the SALL4 gene and its clinical significance in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) was performed to detect the expression level of SALL4 mRNA in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) from 35 AML, 12 CML patients and 24 iron deficiency anemia patients as controls. The results indicated that the expression level of SALL4 in AML (0%-14%, median 1.43%) was obviously higher than that in controls (0% - 1%, median 0%) (P < 0.001). SALL4 expression was positive in 65.7% (23/35) AML patients. The frequency of SALL4 expression was in M2 (86.7%, 13/15) > M3 (75.0%, 6/8) > M1 (60.0%, 3/5) > M4 (14.3%, 1/7), and the difference among 4 groups was statistically significant (P = 0.008); there was no correlation of the frequency of SALL4 expression with the age, sex, white blood cell WBC count, hemoglobin concentration, platelet count and chromosomal abnormalities of AML patients (P > 0.05). All the 13 CML cases showed positive expression of SALL4 gene (1% - 128%, median 19.39%), which was higher than that in controls (P < 0.001). The analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed the area under ROC curve (AUC) of AML and CML were 0.983 (95% confidence interval: 0.95 - 1.017) and 0.997 (95% confidence interval: 0.986 - 1.007) respectively. It is concluded that SALL4 expression is a common molecular event and can be considered as a molecular marker for assisting diagnosis of AML and CML.

Reduced expression of PDLIM4 gene correlates with good prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to investigate the expression pattern of gene PDLIM4 (PDZ and LIM domain 4) and analyze its clinical correlation with the patients suffered from acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The expression pattern of PDLIM4 in AML was detected by using EvaGreen real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR). The results showed that the PDLIM4 transcript significantly decreased in 94 AML patients, compared with 21 controls (P < 0.01). The decrease of PDLIM4 transcript was found in 42 (45%) AML patients. PDLIM4 low-expression occurred among the subtypes of M1/M2/M3 more frequently than that in M4/M5/M6 (56% vs 20%, P < 0.01). AML patients with PDLIM4 low-expression had an overall survival (OS) higher than that in AML patients without PDLIM4 low-expression (P < 0.05). Analysis with receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) displayed that PDLIM4 expression possesses the diagnostic value to differentiate AML from controls, with ROC curve area of 0.865 (95% CI: 0.801-0.930). It is concluded that reduced PDLIM4 expression is a common and favorable event for the good prognosis in AML, and can be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker of cancer.

Gene expression of helicase antigen in patients with acute and chronic myeloid leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression status of the helicase antigen (HAGE) transcript and its clinical significance in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The expression of HAGE cDNA in bone marrow mononuclear cells from AML and CML patients was detected by using real-time quantitative PCR. The results indicated that overexpression of HAGE transcript (117.12% - 9842.70%, median 434.96%) was detected in 14.8% (11/74) AML patients. AML patients with HAGE cDNA expression were significantly older than those HAGE-negative patients (median 67 and 45 years, respectively, p = 0.001). HAGE cDNA expression was more frequently present among the patients with acute monoblastic leukemia (M(4) and M(5), 7 of 20, 35.0%), compared to the patients with acute non-monoblastic leukemia (M(1), M(2), M(3) and M(6), 4 of 54, 7.4%) (p = 0.007). 28.6% (8/28) cases with normal karyotypes showed HAGE cDNA overexpression, significantly higher than 7.5% (3 of 40) in those with chromosomal abnormalities (p = 0.041). Overexpression of HAGE transcript was found in 9 (34.6%) CML cases and more frequently observed at accelerated phase and blast crisis (4/4, 100%) than that at chronic phase (5/22, 22.7%) (p = 0.008). It is concluded that HAGE cDNA expression is relevant to specific subtypes of AML and to the progression of CML.

Factors associated with attitudes toward tobacco control policy in public places among adults in three counties of China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To investigate the attitudes of urban and rural community members toward total banning on smoking in public places and to explore the factors associated with these attitudes, in three counties/cities in China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in three counties/cities in 2004, including Xin' an county of Henan province, Anyi county of Jiangxi province, and Mianzhu city of Sichuan province. A total of 5642 residents at age of 18-69 years old were interviewed face-to-face with a uniform questionnaire by locally-trained interviewers, through a random three-stage stratified sampling in each county. Factors were assumed to be associated with attitudes, using chi-square test in univariate analysis and non-conditional logistic regression model in multivariate analysis. Results The prevalence of current smoking among respondents was 44.3%. 80.7% (1379/1709) of the current smokers reported smoking often or sometimes in public places. Only 9.6% (479/4983) of the respondents reported that their indoor workplaces had totally banned on smoking. 43.5% of the respondents supported a total smoking ban strategy in pubic venues. The results of multivariate logistic regression model showed that eight factors were significantly associated with support for the total smoking ban in public places included region, residency, age, gender, education, smoking status, awareness about passive smoking hazards, and hearing of any message on tobacco control through media differences of rates regarding the factors as: residents in urban to rural areas (OR=1.29), elderly to youngsters (30-49 vs. 18-29, OR=1.46; 50-69 vs. 18-29, OR=1.71), female to male(OR=1.27), high-educated to less-educated ones, quitters to current smokers (OR=1.90), nonsmokers to current smokers (OR=2.01). Those who know messages on health hazards of passive smoking (OR=2.26), or heard of message on tobacco control through media (OR= 1.43). Conclusion Results from our study revealed that a thorough smoke-flee policy in public places should be developed and implemented in these three counties/cities.

The current status of passive smoking in Chinese families and associated factors / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the prevalence of passive smoking in Chinese families and discuss its associated factors, as to providing scientific evidence for establishing tobacco control measures in China.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Cross-sectional survey: from June to September, 2004, we randomly selected six counties in three different provinces ( Mianzhu and Xichong of Sichuan Province; Anyi and Hukou of Jiangxi Province; Xinan and Yanshi of Henan Province) and performed face-to-face questionnaire survey on citizens between 18 and 69 years old. All the data were double independently input by professional data entry company to ensure data accuracy. The prevalence of home passive smoking exposure in families with different demographic characteristics was described by using prevalence, and the possible correlated factors of home passive smoking exposure as independent variables, multiple factors were analyzed using Logistic Stepwise Regression Analysis method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The analysis on 8142 nonsmokers revealed that the rate of passive smoking was 28.42%, with 27.38% of male and 28.93% of female suffering from passive smoking. All 87.19% of the smokers would smoke in front of their families. As many as 42.14% of the nonsmokers would offer cigarettes to their guests, while about 46.82% of the nonsmokers would suggest smokers to smoke outdoor. Home restriction on tobacco was extremely rare and only 6.33% of all the families completely forbade smoking. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of non-conditions revealed that, there was a lower level of involuntary tobacco smoke exposure in female, older age group, lower education level, divorced, or widowed families. There was no difference in involuntary tobacco smoke exposure between town dwellers and county dwellers, but such difference did exist in different districts.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The three provinces under investigation should have severe involuntary tobacco smoking exposure. Gender, age, literacy level, occupation and region should be all factors that influence the status of involuntary tobacco smoking exposure in different families. There is a high percentile that smokers would smoke in front of their families and kids and a relative low pressure against smoking from nonsmokers. Cigarette offering is very prevalence. The knowledge and attitude about passive smoking should be separated from the situation of passive smoking exposure.</p>

Exploring barriers to implementation of smoking policies: a qualitative study on health professionals from three county-level hospitals / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was to identify factors limiting the implementation of smoking policies in county-level hospitals.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We conducted qualitative interviews (17 focus groups discussions and 6 one-to-one in depth interviews) involving 103 health professionals from three target county-level hospitals. A combination of purposive and convenience sampling was used to recruit subjects and gain a broad range of perspectives on issues emerging from ongoing data-analysis until data saturation occurred. The transcripts were analyzed for themes and key points.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The main themes that emerged suggested that both smokers and non-smokers viewed smoking very negatively. However, it was clear that, underlying this acceptance of the health risks of smoking, there was a wide range of beliefs. Most of the health professionals pointed out that, as smoking was legal, addictive, and influenced by social norms, currently it was almost unrealistic to expect all smokers to give up smoking or not to smoke in the hospitals. Furthermore, they were concerned about the potentially detrimental effects of providing counseling advice to all smokers on the interpersonal relationship among colleagues or between doctors and patients. In addition, low level of employee participation influenced the sustainable implementation of smoking policies.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Simply being aware of the health risks about smoking did not necessarily result in successful implementation of the smoking policies. Application of comprehensive intervention strategies such as implementing smoking policies in public places at the county level, creating supportive environments, promoting community participation, and conducting health education, may be more effective.</p>

A Strategy to Optimize the Oligo-Probes for Microarray-based Detection of Viruses / 中国病毒学

DNA microarrays have been acknowledged to represent a promising approach for the detection of viral pathogens. However, the probes designed for current arrays could cover only part of the given viral variants, that could result in false-negative or ambiguous data. If all the variants are to be covered, the requirement for more probes would render much higher spot density and thus higher cost of the arrays. Here we have developed a new strategy for oligonucleotide probe design. Using type I human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) tat gene as an example, we designed the array probes and validated the optimized parameters in silico. Results show that the oligo number is significantly reduced comparing with the existing methods, while specificity and hybridization efficiency remain intact. The adoption of this method in reducing the oligo numbers could increase the detection capacity for DNA microarrays, and would significantly lower the manufacturing cost for making array chips.

Passive smoking in China: contributing factors and areas for future interventions / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To reduce tobacco consumption and exposure to passive smoking in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Discussion consisting of 80 focus groups and 35 interviews were held in three rural intervention counties of Jiangxi, Henan, and Sichuan Provinces. Participants came from hospitals, schools, rural areas, and urban areas.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Tobacco use and exposure to passive smoking were widely prevalent in the investigated schools, hospitals, county towns, and rural areas. Knowledge of the risks for passive smoking on health is lacking, especially in rural areas. Barriers to the control of tobacco use in public places include reluctance of administrators to implement tobacco control policies, lack of consistent policies, difficulties with regulations and enforcement, and reluctance of non-smokers to exercise their right to clean air.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>To curb the current tobacco epidemic in China, tobacco control efforts must focus on reducing exposure to passive smoking. A strategy should be formulated to reduce the factors that contribute to tobacco use and exposure to passive smoking.</p>

Expression of cell surface antigens during the differentiation of osteoblast by human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the phenotypic changes of some cell surface antigens in the process that the bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into osteoblast lineage under certain conditions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The mononuclear cells were isolated from human bone marrow and cultured in the medium in the presence (experimental group) or absence (control group 1) of dexamethasone, ascorbic acid and beta-glycerophosphate, or in the alpha-MEM only (control group 2). The expressions of CD45, CD34, CD117, CD90, and HLA-DR were examined by flow cytometry on culture day 7, 12, and 17.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Human bone marrow MSCs can differentiate into mature cells with the characteristics of osteoblasts in vitro. The expression of CD45 was low in the experimental group and in the control groups on culture day 7, and became negative from day 12 in all groups. The expressions of CD34 and CD117 were negative at all time points. The expression of CD90 increased on day 12 in all groups, and was more obvious in the control groups. The expression of HLA-DR was gradually elevated along with the differentiation and maturation of osteoblasts in the experimental group, but dropped in the control groups in the later time points.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>MSCs can differentiate into mature osteoblasts after induction. The expression of cell surface antigens during differentiation has characteristic changes, which may be key markers in the early stage of osteoblasts differentiation.</p>

Study of cryopreservation of differentiated hepatocyte derived from human bone marrow stem cells / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the viability and function of human bone marrow stem cell-derived hepatocytes following cryopreservation in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human bone marrow cells were induced to differentiate into hepatocytes in the presence of multiple factors. Mature hepatocytes were cryopreserved in 90% FBS and 10% DMSO (Group A), 10% FBS, 30% glycerol and 60% conditioned medium (Group B), and 10% FBS, 10% DMSO, and 80% UW solution (Group C). The cells were thawed after 4 weeks, and the cell viability and the albumin level were determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The human bone marrow derived hepatocytes maintained functional morphology after thawing. The viabilities in Group A, B and C were (60.0 +/- 3.3)%, (91.0 +/- 2.6)%, and (89.0 +/- 1.4)%, respectively. After culturing for 24 h, the albumin levels in Group A, B and C were (0.210 +/- 0.005) g/L, (0.340 +/- 0.020) g/L and (0.330 +/- 0.030) g/L, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Human bone marrow stem cell-derived hepatocytes can maintain the viability and function after cryopreservation. These cells may contribute to an important source of hepatocytes for clinical hepatocyte transplantation and artificial liver support system.</p>

Expression of albumin during hepatocyte differentiation by human bone marrow stem cells / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the expression pattern of albumin during the hepatocyte differentiation by human bone marrow stem cells in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human bone marrow cells were harvested and cultured in the presence of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and lymphocyte inhibitory factor (LIF). Cells were stained immunohistochemically by albumin specific antibody and examined under a confocal microscope. Supernatant albumin level was measured biochemically on a serial time points of the culture.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>By this condition, the attached cells became mature morphologically in 1 week of culture. Hepatocyte-specific albumin could be detected in mature cells. The albumin level revealed a time-dependent change during a 4-week culture.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Human bone marrow cells could be induced to differentiate to mature hepatocytes that produce and secret albumin in vitro. These cells may contribute to a stable source of hepatocytes for clinical hepatocyte transplantation and artificial liver support system.</p>