Neural Circuit Mechanisms Involved in Animals' Detection of and Response to Visual Threats / 神经科学通报·英文版

Evading or escaping from predators is one of the most crucial issues for survival across the animal kingdom. The timely detection of predators and the initiation of appropriate fight-or-flight responses are innate capabilities of the nervous system. Here we review recent progress in our understanding of innate visually-triggered defensive behaviors and the underlying neural circuit mechanisms, and a comparison among vinegar flies, zebrafish, and mice is included. This overview covers the anatomical and functional aspects of the neural circuits involved in this process, including visual threat processing and identification, the selection of appropriate behavioral responses, and the initiation of these innate defensive behaviors. The emphasis of this review is on the early stages of this pathway, namely, threat identification from complex visual inputs and how behavioral choices are influenced by differences in visual threats. We also briefly cover how the innate defensive response is processed centrally. Based on these summaries, we discuss coding strategies for visual threats and propose a common prototypical pathway for rapid innate defensive responses.

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in southern China from 2007 to 2014

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has a high degree of genetic variation. In this study, we characterized the genetic variation and evolutionary relationships among circulating PRRSV strains in southern China. We analyzed 29 NSP2 strains and 150 ORF5 strains from clinical samples collected in southern China during 2007–2014. The alignment results showed that the nucleotide identity similarities of the two genes among these strains were 80.5%–99.7% and 80.9%–100%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the NSP2 gene showed that highly pathogenic (HP)-PRRSV was still the dominant virus in southern China from 2013 to 2014. Compared with reference strains CH-1a and VR-2332, the field strain 131101-GD-SHC, which shared high homology with JXA1-P170, had a novel 12 amino acid deletion at position 499–510. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ORF5 gene showed that HP-PRRSV, VR2332-like strains, and QYYZ-like strains were simultaneously circulating in southern China from 2007 to 2014, suggesting that, in recent years, the type 2 PRRSV was more diverse in southern China. In conclusion, mutations in the decoy epitope and primary neutralizing epitope could be markers of viral evolution and used to study evolutionary relationships among PRRSV strains in China.

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of pseudorabies virus variants isolated from Guangdong province of southern China during 2013–2014

Outbreaks of pseudorabies (PR) have occurred in southern China since late 2011, resulting in significant economic impacts on the swine industry. To identify the cause of PR outbreaks, especially among vaccinated pigs, 11 pseudorabies virus (PRV) field strains were isolated from Guangdong province during 2013–2014. Their major viral genes (gE, TK, gI, PK, gD, 11K, and 28K) were analyzed in this study. Insertions or deletions were observed in gD, gE, gI and PK genes compared with other PRV isolates from all over the world. Furthermore, sequence alignment showed that insertions in gD and gE were unique molecular characteristics of the new prevalent PRV strains in China. Phylogenetic analysis showed that our isolates were clustered in an independent branch together with other strains isolated from China in recent years, and that they showed a closer genetic relationship with earlier isolates from Asia. Our results suggest that these isolates are novel PRV variants with unique molecular signatures.

Effects of electroacupuncture on anxiety and sympathetic-adrenal medulla system in rats with insomnia / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the action mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Shenmen" (HT 7) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) on insomnia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group and an EA group, 10 cases in each group. The insomnia model was made by immobilization method in the model group and EA group. After model establishment, rats in the blank group and model group were treated with fixation and no treatment was given. Rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Shenmen" (HT 7) and "San-yinjiao" (SP 6) for 15 min, once a day for 4 days. After treatment, the level of daytime and nighttime activity, open-arm entry percentage and open-arm time percentage of elevated plus-maze test were measured; the content of noradrenaline (NE), dopamine (DA) and epinephrine (EPI) in plasma and NE, DA in thalamus and brainstem were detected by using euzymelinked immunosorbent assay method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the blank group, the daytime activity was increased and nighttime activity was reduced in the model group (both P<0. 05); the open-arm entry percentage and open-arm time percentage of elevated plus-maze test were both reduced in the model group (both P<0. 05); the contents of NE, DA, EPI in the plasma and NE, DA in thalamus and brainstem were increased in the model group (all P<0. 05). Compared with the model group, the daytime activity was reduced and nighttime activity was increased in the EA group (both P<0. 05); the open-arm entry percentage and open-arm time percentage of elevated plus-maze test were both increased in the EA group (both P<0. 05); the contents of NE, DA, EPI in the plasma and NE, DA in thalamus and brainstem were reduced in the EA group (all P< 0. 05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electroacupuncture at "Shenmen" (HT 7) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) can restrain the over-activity of the sympathetic-adrenal medullary system to treat the insomnia.</p>

Study on the family-based association Tim-1 promoter polymorphism with child allergic asthma / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective: To investigate the association between three single nucleotide polymorphisms-2562G＞A,-416C＞G and-232G＞A in Tim-3(T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein 3)gene promoter region and child allergic asthma in Chinese Han population by using family-based association study.Methods: Genotypes of 3 SNPs(-2562G＞A,-416C＞G and-232G＞A)in 118 allergic asthma nuclear pedigrees were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism.The genotype data were analyzed by using the family-based transmission disequilibrium test(TDT).Haplotypes and their frequencies were established and analyzed by TRANSMIT software.Results: ①No transmission disequilibrium was found at the-2562G＞A and-232G＞A sites from heterozygous parents onto patients in 118 trios analyzed by TDT(P＞0.05);However,at the-416 C＞G locus,the observed values of G allele from heterozygous parents to offspring were significantly higher than the expected values(P＜0.05)②The haplotype TDT analysis by TRANSMIT showed the observed and the expected value in GCA and GGA haplotype from parents to the affected offsprings had significant difference respectively(P＜0.05).The Global X~2 test results also showed that Tim-1 haplotype were associated with child allergic asthma(X~2 = 17.26, P＜0.01).Conclusion: Tim-1 gene promoter-416C＞G locus are associated with allergic asthma susceptibility in Hubei Chinese Han population and the haplotypes constructed by-416C＞G are also associated with asthma.Tim-1 genetic polymorphism may play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Distribution characteristics and linkage disequilibrium of TIM4 promoter polymorphisms in asthma patients of Chinese Han population / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

To investigate the distribution characteristics and linkage disequilibrium of T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein 4 (TIM4) promoter polymorphisms in asthma patients of Chinese Han population, the promoter region of TIM4 was re-sequenced by PCR-sequencing, and linkage disequilibrium was analyzed by SHEsis software. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of TIM4 were detected, including two new SNPs (at positions-1609,-153) and two reported SNPs (rs6874202, rs6882076). The frequency distribution of rs6882076 was different among different races (P<0.05). In addition, linkage disequilibrium among the SNPs of the promoter region of TIM4 was found and GGTG was the predominant haplotype. There were four SNPs in the promoter region of TIM4 in asthma patients of Chinese Han population, which were in linkage disequilibrium.

Family-based association study of Tim-3 gene polymorphism with child allergic asthma / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

objective To investigate the association between two single nucleotide polymorphisma (SNP)rsl0053538 and r810515746 in Tim-3(T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein 3) gene promoter region and child allergic asthma in Chinese Han population from Hubei province by using faro-ily-based association study．Methods Cenotypes of 2 SNPs(rs10053538 and rs10515746)within Tim-3 gene in 118 allergic flsthma nuclear pedigrees were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing．Two family-based designs，transmission disequilibrium test(TDT)and haplotype-based haplotype relaive risk(HRR)were employed for the data analysis．Haplotypes and their frequencies in 118 nuclear pedigrees were established and analyzed by Transmit software．Results The HRR analysis showed no increased risks of contracting the disease owing to rs10053538 and rs10515746 polymorphisma of Tim-3 promoter in our 118 tries(X2=2．430，P>0．05；x2=1．368，P>O．05)．N0 transmission disequilibrium was found from heterozygous parents onto patients in our 118 tries analyzed by TDT(x2=2．042，P>0．05；X2=0．750，P>0．05)．The haplotype analysis also showed no biased transmission of rs10053538 and rs10515746 haplotypes from parents to the affected offsprings(P>0．05)．Condusion The two SNPs rs10053538 and rs10515746 in Tim-3 gene promoter region are not associated with susceptibility to child allergic asthma in Chinese Han population from Hubei province．

Effects of anti-tumor and immune regulation of several human lactobacillus in mouse / 基础医学与临床

Objective To investigate three strains of vaginal Lactobacillus for their regulative effects on macrophage and murine uterocervical carcinoma number 14(U14).Methods Mice were transplanted with U14,then ramdomly divided them into 5 groups.Model group and DDP group respectively were regarded as nagative and positive comparison;Lactobacillus groups were injected with 1010 each with Lactobacillus into peritoneum for 10 days successively.The TNF-? and NO content secreted by KM mice and the inhibitory rate of U14 cells were detected.Results The production of TNF-? and NO secreted by the peritoneal macrophages activated by Lactobacillus was greatly increased.The three strains of Lactobacillus all had significantly antitumor effects on KM mice bearing U14.Conclusion Lactobacillus showed a marked inhibition effects on the U14 cells and can activate macrophages to produce TNF-?and NO which may be involved in the antitumor mechanism.

Mutations in promoter and the coding region of Human Tim-3 gene in the Han population from Hubei province of China / 中国免疫学杂志

0.05) but quite different from European and African's(P