Comparison of alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS was used to systematically analyze and compare the alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata. After the samples were pretreated in the solid-phase extraction cartridges, 0.1% ammonium hydroxide(A)-acetonitrile(B) was used for gradient elution. The LC-MS method for characterization of alkaloids in the three herbal medicines was established in ESI positive ion mode to collect high resolution MS data of reference substances and samples. On the basis of the information of reference substance cracking behavior, retention time, accurate molecular mass, and related literature, a total of 155 alkaloids were identified in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Prae-parata. Specifically, 130, 127, and 92 alkaloids were identified in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, respectively. Monoester alkaloids and amino-alcohol alkaloids were dominant in the three herbal medicines, and the alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix and Aconiti Radix were similar. This paper can provide a reference for elucidating the pharmacological effects and clinical application differences of the three herbal medicines produced from plants of Aconitum.

Review of the in vitro inhibitory effects of traditional Chinese medicine and its components on CYP450 enzymes in liver microsomes / 药学学报

Cytochrome P450s (CYP450) is a superfamily of phase I metabolic enzymes, which participates in more than 90% of drug oxidation. The induction or inhibition of CYP450s is the main mechanism of drug-drug interaction. In recent years, in vitro metabolism studies conducted through isolated organs, cells, or enzyme systems have developed rapidly, due to their precision and simplicity. Therefore, profiles of the in vitro metabolism studies of traditional Chinese medicines can infer the possible metabolic pathways of drugs, predict the potential drug interactions, and may enhance the rational use of drugs in clinic. This article reviews the in vitro inhibitory effects of traditional Chinese medicine, ingredients, and extracts on the activities of CYP450 enzymes in the liver microsomes, which can provide a reference for further researches on the interaction between Chinese medicine and chemical medicine.

Identification of chemical constituents of Xiaochengqi Decoction by UPLC-Q-TOF/Fast DDA combined with UNIFI software / 中国中药杂志

Based on the combination of ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF) and Waters UNIFI software, the chemical constituents of the classic prescription Xiaochengqi Decoction were qualitatively analyzed and identified. The UPLC conditions are as follows: Acquity HSS T3 reverse phase column(2.1 mm ×100 mm, 1.8 μm), column temperature of 30 ℃, mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-acetonitrile(B), and flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1). High-resolution MS data of Xiaochengqi Decoction were collected in ESI~(+/-) modes by Fast DDA. The structures of the chemical constituents were tentatively characterized or identified by UNIFI software according to the retention time of reference standards and characteristic fragment ions in MS profile, and literature data. A total of 233 components in Xiaochengqi Decoction were identified, with 93 from wine-processed Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, 104 from bran-processed Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, and 36 from ginger-processed Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex. These 233 components included anthraquinones, flavonoids, lignans, alkaloids, coumarins, and phenylethanoid glycosides. The result provided experimental evidence for the further study on establishment of quality standard and product development of the formula.

Growth Differentiation Factor-15 Produces Analgesia by Inhibiting Tetrodotoxin-Resistant Nav1.8 Sodium Channel Activity in Rat Primary Sensory Neurons / 神经科学通报·英文版

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily. It is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Whether and how GDF-15 modulates nociceptive signaling remains unclear. Behaviorally, we found that peripheral GDF-15 significantly elevated nociceptive response thresholds to mechanical and thermal stimuli in naïve and arthritic rats. Electrophysiologically, we demonstrated that GDF-15 decreased the excitability of small-diameter dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. Furthermore, GDF-15 concentration-dependently suppressed tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channel Nav1.8 currents, and shifted the steady-state inactivation curves of Nav1.8 in a hyperpolarizing direction. GDF-15 also reduced window currents and slowed down the recovery rate of Nav1.8 channels, suggesting that GDF-15 accelerated inactivation and slowed recovery of the channel. Immunohistochemistry results showed that activin receptor-like kinase-2 (ALK2) was widely expressed in DRG medium- and small-diameter neurons, and some of them were Nav1.8-positive. Blockade of ALK2 prevented the GDF-15-induced inhibition of Nav1.8 currents and nociceptive behaviors. Inhibition of PKA and ERK, but not PKC, blocked the inhibitory effect of GDF-15 on Nav1.8 currents. These results suggest a functional link between GDF-15 and Nav1.8 in DRG neurons via ALK2 receptors and PKA associated with MEK/ERK, which mediate the peripheral analgesia of GDF-15.

Growth Differentiation Factor-15 Produces Analgesia by Inhibiting Tetrodotoxin-Resistant Nav1.8 Sodium Channel Activity in Rat Primary Sensory Neurons / 神经科学通报·英文版

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily. It is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Whether and how GDF-15 modulates nociceptive signaling remains unclear. Behaviorally, we found that peripheral GDF-15 significantly elevated nociceptive response thresholds to mechanical and thermal stimuli in naïve and arthritic rats. Electrophysiologically, we demonstrated that GDF-15 decreased the excitability of small-diameter dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. Furthermore, GDF-15 concentration-dependently suppressed tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channel Nav1.8 currents, and shifted the steady-state inactivation curves of Nav1.8 in a hyperpolarizing direction. GDF-15 also reduced window currents and slowed down the recovery rate of Nav1.8 channels, suggesting that GDF-15 accelerated inactivation and slowed recovery of the channel. Immunohistochemistry results showed that activin receptor-like kinase-2 (ALK2) was widely expressed in DRG medium- and small-diameter neurons, and some of them were Nav1.8-positive. Blockade of ALK2 prevented the GDF-15-induced inhibition of Nav1.8 currents and nociceptive behaviors. Inhibition of PKA and ERK, but not PKC, blocked the inhibitory effect of GDF-15 on Nav1.8 currents. These results suggest a functional link between GDF-15 and Nav1.8 in DRG neurons via ALK2 receptors and PKA associated with MEK/ERK, which mediate the peripheral analgesia of GDF-15.

Discussion for Quality Control of Chinese Patent Drugs from Quality Difference Among Different Dosage Forms of Liuwei Dihuang Preparations / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:Through comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the quality of Liuwei Dihuang （LWDH） preparations from different manufacturers and combining factors such as production technology， the key factors in the quality control of LWDH preparations are explored to provide a reference for improving the quality control level of LWDH preparations. Method:Morroniside， loganin and paeonol as quality control markers of LWDH products were determined by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）， the mobile phase was acetonitrile （A） -0.3% phosphoric acid aqueous solution （B） for gradient elution （0-5 min， 5%-8%A； 5-20 min， 8%A； 20-35 min， 8%-20%A； 35-45 min， 20%-60%A； 45-55 min， 60%A）， the detection wavelength of paeonol was at 274 nm， and the detection wavelengths of morroniside and loganin were at 240 nm. The quality characteristics of LWDH preparations with different dosage forms （big candied pills， water-honeyed pills， concentrated pills， hard capsules and soft capsules） from different manufacturers were analyzed. Combined these results with their actual production processes， the key-points of quality control in the whole production process were discussed. Result:The contents of three index ingredients in 128 batches of LWDH preparations were all in conformity with the standards of the 2015 edition of <italic>Chinese Pharmacopoeia</italic>， however， the content limit of some dosage forms in the current standard was unreasonable. For example， although the daily dose of crude drugs for big candied pills were almost twice the dose of water- honeyed pills （15.00， 8.57 g， respectively）， they got exactly the same daily limits of the contents for both the quality markers. What′s more， these two formulations had the same process， so the differences between the process obviously could not be the reason of these differences. Conclusion:It is recommended that for the products with different dosage forms should have a similar content limits， if there are no obvious distinctions between their production processes. Which may benefit the quality control of the products with multi-dosage forms. The research on the quality standards of proprietary Chinese medicines should deeply study the existing characteristics of the quality standards， and fully respect the laws of the quality attributes of traditional Chinese medicines and the rules of the production process of Chinese patent medicines.

Application of microvascular measurement technology in endothelial removal / 中国药理学通报

Aim To improve the reliability of research data of microvascular measurement technology by establishing a research method for the removal of vascular endothelium from isolated arterioles. Methods For this study, 12-wk-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto ( WKY) rats were selected. Acute separation of the mesenteric artery was performed after measurement of blood pressure. The endothelium was removed by a combination of mechanical (the vascular ring rotated around the electrode tip and gas was injected) and drug (L-NAME and indom-ethacin). Thenthe effects of different concentrations of phenylephrine ( PE), ACh, and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on the changes of the mesenteric artery diameter in the rats with endothelial integrity and endothelial removal were measured using pressure myocardio-graphy. Results (1) The blood pressure ofSHR rats was significantly higher than that of WKY rats (P could relax the mesenteric artery of SHR and WKY rats in a concentration-dependent manner. When the endothelium was intact, the relaxation of SHR was significantly weaker than that of WKY rats (P < 0. 01 )j Compared with WKY rats, SHR showed a significantly enhanced relaxation when the endothelium was removed (P <0. 01). Conclusions (1) We successfully established a research method for vascular endothelium removal by in vitro arteriolar pressure arthrography. ( 2 ) Hypertensive rats have a significant vasomotor dysfunction.

Identification of microRNAs as novel biomarkers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a study based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and bioinformatics / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have played important roles in the regulation of gene expression in many cancers, but their roles in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are still unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the potential ESCC-specific key miRNAs from a large sample dataset in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).@*Methods@#Integrative bioinformatics analysis was used to identify key ESCC-specific miRNAs related to the ESCC patients’ tumor histological grade and lymphatic metastasis from TCGA. Next, these key miRNA potential gene regulatory functions and relationships with ESCC patients’ clinical characteristics and overall survival were analyzed. Finally, three key miRNAs were selected randomly and quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to validate in 51 newly diagnosed ESCC patients’ tissues samples (collected from Nov. 2017 to Feb. 2019, in Wuwei, China) whether the bioinformatics analyses results were reliable and valid. Two-tailed Student’s t test, Pearson Chi-squared test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used in this study.@*Results@#Thirty-five ESCC-specific miRNAs from TCGA database were investigated (fold-change > 2.0, P < 0.05), and 28 participated in the miRNAs-mRNAs co-expression network construction, while 17 were related with ESCC patients’ tumor histological grade, TNM stage, and lymphatic metastasis (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, six miRNAs (including miR-200b-3p, miR-31-5p, miR-15b-5p, miR-141-3p, miR-135b-5p, and miR-195-5p) were correlated with overall survival of ESCC patients (log-rank, P < 0.05). MiR-135b-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-195-5p were selected for verification of the expression levels in 51 ESCC patients’ tissue samples by using qRT-PCR. We found that the fold-changes between qRT-PCR and TCGA were completely consistent. The results also suggested that miR-135b-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-195-5p were significantly correlated with tumor differentiation degrees (P < 0.05), miR-195-5p was significantly correlated with tumor TNM stage (P < 0.05), and miR-135b-5p was significantly correlated with lymph-node metastasis (P < 0.05). MiR-135b-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-195-5p expression levels, ESCC patient clinical features association analysis results and the aforementioned TCGA bioinformatics analyses were similar.@*Conclusion@#This study identified key ESCC-related miRNAs. The key miRNAs are worthy of further investigation as potential novel biomarkers for diagnosis, classification, and prognosis of ESCC.

Quality Control of Zhenqi Fuzheng Granule Based on Multi-component Determination / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To estimate the overall quality characteristics of Zhenqi Fuzheng granules (ZQFZ),which were composed of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus and Astragali Radix and collected from different manufacturers (their final preparations included two types,contained sugar and sugar free) by established HPLC methods,in order to propose an appropriate quality-control strategy for promoting the quality control specification of ZQFZ.Method: The quantification of the 6 components (rhodioloside,calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside,specnuezhenide,ononin,calycosin and astragaloside IV) were performed on a C18 column with two chromatographic systems.Chromatographic system Ⅰ:methanol and water were adopted as mobile phase with gradient elution,the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min-1,and optimum detection waves were at 224,250 and 275 nm respectively.Chromatographic system Ⅱ:methanol and water (80:20) were adopted as mobile phase with gradient elution at the flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1,and the detector parameters were set as follows:the drift tube temperature was 75℃,and the carrier gas flow rate was 1.5 L·min-1.Both column temperatures were at 30℃.All of the 80 batches of ZQFZ from different manufacturers were determined and analyzed.Result: All of the six markers could be detected in 80 batches of ZQFZ,but their contents were quite different.The results of the one-way ANOVA showed significant differences between manufacturer 4 and other three manufacturers in sugar-containing preparations (P PConclusion: It is of great significance to increase relevant quality control markers of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus in ZQFZ,such as rhodioloside and specnuezhenide,for standardizing production and improving quality level.

Identification of microRNAs as novel biomarkers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a study based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and bioinformatics / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have played important roles in the regulation of gene expression in many cancers, but their roles in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are still unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the potential ESCC-specific key miRNAs from a large sample dataset in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).@*METHODS@#Integrative bioinformatics analysis was used to identify key ESCC-specific miRNAs related to the ESCC patients' tumor histological grade and lymphatic metastasis from TCGA. Next, these key miRNA potential gene regulatory functions and relationships with ESCC patients' clinical characteristics and overall survival were analyzed. Finally, three key miRNAs were selected randomly and quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to validate in 51 newly diagnosed ESCC patients' tissues samples (collected from Nov. 2017 to Feb. 2019, in Wuwei, China) whether the bioinformatics analyses results were reliable and valid. Two-tailed Student's t test, Pearson Chi-squared test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used in this study.@*RESULTS@#Thirty-five ESCC-specific miRNAs from TCGA database were investigated (fold-change > 2.0, P < 0.05), and 28 participated in the miRNAs-mRNAs co-expression network construction, while 17 were related with ESCC patients' tumor histological grade, TNM stage, and lymphatic metastasis (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, six miRNAs (including miR-200b-3p, miR-31-5p, miR-15b-5p, miR-141-3p, miR-135b-5p, and miR-195-5p) were correlated with overall survival of ESCC patients (log-rank, P < 0.05). MiR-135b-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-195-5p were selected for verification of the expression levels in 51 ESCC patients' tissue samples by using qRT-PCR. We found that the fold-changes between qRT-PCR and TCGA were completely consistent. The results also suggested that miR-135b-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-195-5p were significantly correlated with tumor differentiation degrees (P < 0.05), miR-195-5p was significantly correlated with tumor TNM stage (P < 0.05), and miR-135b-5p was significantly correlated with lymph-node metastasis (P < 0.05). MiR-135b-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-195-5p expression levels, ESCC patient clinical features association analysis results and the aforementioned TCGA bioinformatics analyses were similar.@*CONCLUSION@#This study identified key ESCC-related miRNAs. The key miRNAs are worthy of further investigation as potential novel biomarkers for diagnosis, classification, and prognosis of ESCC.

KIF11 Functions as an Oncogene and Is Associated with Poor Outcomes from Breast Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The study aimed to search and identify genes that were differentially expressed in breast cancer, and their roles in cancer growth and progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Gene Expression Omnibus (Oncomine) and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases (https://cancergenome.nih.gov/) were screened for genes that were expressed differentially in breast cancer and were closely related to a poor prognosis. Gene expressions were verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and genes were knocked down by a lentivirus-based system. Cell growth and motility were evaluated and in vivo nude mice were used to confirm the in vitro roles of genes. Markers of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the associations of KIF11 with the classical cancer signaling pathways were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: A series of genes expressed differentially in patients with breast cancer. The prognosis associated with high KIF11 expression was poor, and the expression of KIF11 increased significantly in high stage and malignant tumor cells. Inhibiting KIF11 expression in lentivirus-suppressed cells revealed that KIF11 inhibition significantly reduced cell viability and colony formation, inhibited migration and invasion, but promoted apoptosis. The sizes and weights of KIF11-inhibited tumors in nude mice were significantly lower than in the negative controls. Western blot showed that E-cadherin in breast cancer was significantly upregulated in KIF-inhibited cells and tumor tissues, whereas N-cadherin and vimentin were significantly down-regulated. BT549 and MDA231 cells with KIF11 knockdown exhibited decreased ERK, AMPK, AKT, and CREB phosphorylation. CONCLUSION: KIF11 acts as a potential oncogene that regulates the development and progression of breast cancer.

Short term effects of 1g/L bromfenac sodium eye drops after LASEK / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

?AIM: To compare postoperative anti -inflammation effect and safety between bromfenac sodium eye drops and pranoprofen eye drops in patients after laser epithelial keratomileusis ( LASEK) .? METHODS: In the prospective, randomized and controlled study, 100 patients ( 200 eyes ) undergoing LASEK were randomized into the bromfenac sodium group (100 eyes) and control group (100 eyes).Patients in bromfenac sodium group received bromfenac sodium hydrate ophthalmic solution eye drops twice a day in 3d before surgery and 2wk after surgery, while the patients from the control group were given proanoprofen eye drops 4 times a day in the same period.At 1, 3, 5d, 1 and 3mo after surgery, irritative symptoms grade, duration of irritation, time for corneal epithelial healing, cornel haze, uncorrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure ( IOP ) were observed and compared between the two groups. Quantitative data were analyzed using independent samples t-test and ranked data were statistically analyzed using the Mann-Whiteney rank sun test.?RESULTS:There was no significant difference between two groups in irritative symptoms grade ( P =0.317 ), neither was existed between two groups in uncorrected visual acuity after surgery (P>0.05).There was no statistical significance in the time for corneal epithelial healing between two groups (P=0.551).?CONCLUSION: Bromfenac sodium eye drops ( 1g/L ) can achieve the same therapeutic effect as pranoprofen eye drops after LASEK.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of intrahepatic biliary cystadenocarcinoma / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Surgical resection is generally considered the main curative treatment for intrahepatic biliary cystadenocarcinoma (IBCA) or suspected IBCAs, but controversy exists regarding the prognosis for IBCAs. This study aimed to describe the clinicopathological characteristics of IBCA and identify prognostic factors that may influence the survival of patients treated with surgical procedures.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-four patients with histologically confirmed IBCA treated between January 2000 and June 2014 were included. The clinical characteristics of patients with IBCA were compared with those of 41 patients with intrahepatic biliary cystadenoma (IBC); factors that significant difference were analyzed for prognosis analysis of IBCA using multivariate/univariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. Survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>IBCAs had a strong female predominance, and the most common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain or discomfort. Compared with IBCs, IBCAs occurred in older patients, in more male patients, and were associated statistically significant abnormal increase in alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.01) and total bilirubin (P = 0.04). Mural nodules were more frequently seen with IBCAs and may associate with malignancy. It was difficult to differentiate between IBC and IBCA based on laboratory examination and imaging findings. Although complete resection is recommended, enucleation with negative margins also achieved good outcomes. Median overall patient survival was 76.2 months; survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was 88.0%, 68.7%, and 45.8%, respectively. Radical resection and noninvasive tumor type were independent prognostic factors for overall survival.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It remains difficult to distinguish between cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas based on laboratory examination and image findings. Complete resection is recommended for curative treatment, and patients should be closely followed postoperatively, particularly those with invasive tumors.</p>

A three-year follow-up study on the transfer of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease among the elderly in Taiyuan city / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the incidence rate of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) which transferred to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to study the related influencing factors. Methods 600 MCI aged people were experienced screening test which was conducted by WHO-BCA, MMSE and DCR. A three-year follow-up study was conducted to get the information on the aged people with MCI. Data related to demography, behavior, chronic diseases and perception of the elderly with MCI were collected through face to face interview. Characteristics of the elderly with MCI aged people were tested by 16PF. The content of Apoe was tested by PCR.People with NC were investigated by telephone to get the progression and the time to AD.Methodologies on statistics were log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression model.Results The incidence rate of MCI to AD was 6.53% person-years. The incidence rate of the normal people to AD was 1.24% person-years. The hazard of MCI to AD was 5.27 times (95%CI: 3.01-9.82)of the normal people to AD. The result of Cox proportional hazards regression model displayed that: older age (RR=3.14, 95% CI: 2.98-7.46) , hypertension (RR=3.28, 95% CI: 3.02-8.48) ,hyperlipermia (RR = 2.22,95%CI: 1.29-3.82), diabetes (RR=4.87,95%CI: 2.56-9.25), lack of sports (RR=2.02, 95%CI: 1.29-3.14), anxiety (RR=4.46, 95%CI: 3.07-8.14), dread fulness (RR=4.08,95% CI: 3.52-5.25), loneliness (RR= 1.89,95% CI: 1.13-3.16), characteristics of anxiety (RR= 5.07,95%CI: 2.56-10.04, introvert characteristics (RR=2.05,95%CI: 1.33-3.15) and ApoE4 (RR= 1.73,95% CI: 1.15-2.63) were the risk factors of MCI to AD. Higher education (RR=0.29, 95% CI:0.07-0.43), intellectual work(RR=0.14,95%CI: 0.05-0.32), often reading books(RR=0.30,95%CI:0.15-0.58), often taking part in recreational activities (RR=0.41,95%CI: 0.23-0.75) seemed to be the protective of MCI to AD. Conclusion The rate of the elderly with MCI that developing to AD was high, suggesting further study on the cognitive situation among the MCI aged people should be carried out.

Dynamic expression of glucose transporters 1 and 3 in the brain of diabetic rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Blood glucose control improves the outcome of diabetic patients with stroke, but the target range of blood glucose control remains controversial. The functional recruitment of ischemia penumbra is extremely important to the recovery after stroke. The present study aimed to explore the expression of brain-type glucose transporters (GLUT1 and GLUT3) in cerebral ischemic penumbra at different blood glucose levels and different ischemic-reperfusion time in diabetic hypoxia-ischemia rats. The results might provide an experimental basis for clinical treatment of diabetic patients with stroke.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The Wistar rats included in this study were randomly assigned to 4 groups (50 rats each): normal control group (NC), uncontrolled diabetic group (DM1), poorly-controlled diabetic group (DM2), and well-controlled diabetic group (DM3). Diabetic rats were induced by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, and the focal ischemic rat model of middle artery occlusion (MCAO) was made by insertion of fishing thread in 6 weeks after the establishment of the diabetic model. Each group was divided into 5 subgroups (10 rats each): four focal ischemic subgroups at different ischemic-reperfusion time (at 3,12, 24 and 72 hours after reperfusion, respectively) and one sham-operated subgroup. The mRNA and protein expression of GLUT1 and GLUT3 was assessed by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was significant difference in the mRNA expression of GLUT1 and GLUT3 between the four focal ischemic subgroups and the sham-operated subgroup at different reperfusion time in each group. The mRNA expression of GLUT1 and GLUT3 in the 4 ischemic groups began to increase at 3 hours, peaked at 24 hours after reperfusion and maintained at a higher level even at 72 hours compared with that of the sham-operated subgroup. The mRNA expression of GLUT1 increased more significantly than that of GLUT3. The mRNA expression of GLUT1 and GLUT3 was significantly different between the diabetic groups and normal control group. The mRNA expression of GLUT1 and GLUT3 was increased more significantly in the diabetic groups than that in the normal control group. There was a significant difference in the mRNA expression in the groups with different blood glucose levels. The mRNA expression tended to decrease with increased blood glucose levels. The expression trend of GLUT1 and GLUT3 protein was similar to that of GLUT1 and GLUT3 mRNA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>GLUT1 and GLUT3 expression was notably up-regulated in the penumbra region after cerebral ischemia in this study. But the up-regulated amplitude of GLUT1 and GLUT3 in the diabetic rats with cerebral ischemic injury became smaller than that of the normal controls. In the treatment of diabetic patients with cerebral embolism, blood glucose control should not be too strict, otherwise the up-regulation of GLUT1 and GLUT3 induced by cerebral ischemic injury might not be able to meet the needs of energy metabolism in cells.</p>

Construction of Hexose Transporter-like HXT1 Deletion Mutant in Pichia pastoris / 微生物学通报

Glucose was transported by the large number of hexose transporters in yeast cells. There were 18 hexose transporter genes had been identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However,as an excellent expression system,there was no information of these genes had been reported in Pichia pastoris. Based on high homologous recombination efficiency in yeast,we chose G418 resistance for screening,200 bp were cloned from the up and down sequences of HXT1 ORF respectively,then ligated to the 5′ and 3′ end of G418 resis-tance gene for recombination. After electroporation of GS115 spheroplast and screened through different G418 concentration plates,finally we obtained one HXT1 gene deletion mutant named GS115?HXT1. The growth rate and glucose consumption of this mutant were both lower than the wide type.

Adipocytokines and breast cancer risk / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Many researches suggested that obesity increased the risk of breast cancer, but the mechanism was currently unknown. Adipocytokines might mediate the relationship. Our study was aimed to investigate the relationship between serum levels of resistin, adiponectin and leptin and the onset, invasion and metastasis of breast cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Blood samples were collected from 80 newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed breast cancer patients and 50 age-matched healthy controls. Serum levels of resistin, adiponectin and leptin were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA); fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipids, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) were assayed simultaneously.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum levels of adiponectin ((8.60 +/- 2.92) mg/L vs (10.37 +/- 2.81) mg/L, P = 0.001) and HDL-c were significantly decreased in breast cancer patients in comparison to controls. Serum levels of resistin ((26.35 +/- 5.36) microg/L vs (23.32 +/- 4.75) microg/L, P = 0.000), leptin ((1.35 +/- 0.42) microg/L vs (1.06 +/- 0.39) microg/L, P = 0.003), FBG and triglyceride (TG) in breast cancer patients were increased in contrast to controls, respectively. However, we did not find the significant difference of the serum levels of resistin, adiponectin and leptin between premenopausal breast cancer patients and healthy controls (P = 0.091, 0.109 and 0.084, respectively). The serum levels of resistin, adiponectin and leptin were significantly different between patients with lymph node metastasis (LNM) and those without LNM (P = 0.001, 0.000 and 0.006, respectively). The stepwise regression analysis indicated that the tumor size had the close correlation with leptin (R(2) = 0.414, P = 0.000) and FBG (R(2) = 0.602, P = 0.000). Logistic regression analysis showed that reduced serum levels of adiponectin (OR: 0.805; 95% CI: 0.704 - 0.921; P = 0.001), HDL (OR: 0.087; 95% CI: 0.011 - 0.691, P = 0.021), elevated leptin (OR: 2.235; 95% CI: 1.898 - 4.526; P = 0.004) and resistin (OR: 1.335; 95% CI: 1.114 - 2.354; P = 0.012) increased the risk for breast cancer; Reduced serum levels of adiponectin (OR: 0.742; 95% CI: 0.504 - 0.921; P = 0.003) and elevated leptin (OR: 2.134; 95% CI: 1.725 - 3.921; P = 0.001) were associated with lymph node metastasis of breast cancer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The decreased serum adiponectin levels and increased serum resistin and leptin levels are risk factors of breast cancer. The low serum adiponectin levels and high serum leptin levels are independent risk factors for metastasis of cancer. The association between obesity and breast cancer risk might be explained by adipocytokines.</p>

Influence of blood glucose on the expression of glucose trans-porter proteins 1 and 3 in the brain of diabetic rats / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The delivery of glucose from the blood to the brain involves its passage across the endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is mediated by the facilitative glucose transporter protein 1 (GLUT(1)), and then across the neural cell membranes, which is mediated by GLUT(3). This study aimed to evaluate the dynamic influence of hyperglycemia on the expression of these GLUTs by measuring their expression in the brain at different blood glucose levels in a rat model of diabetes. This might help to determine the proper blood glucose threshold level in the treatment of diabetic apoplexy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Diabetes mellitus was induced with streptozotocin (STZ) in 30 rats. The rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: diabetic group without blood glucose control (group DM1), diabetic rats treated with low dose insulin (group DM2), and diabetic rats treated with high dose insulin (group DM3). The mRNA and protein levels of GLUT(1) and GLUT(3) were assayed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with normal control rats, the GLUT(1) mRNA was reduced by 46.08%, 29.80%, 19.22% (P < 0.01) in DM1, DM2, and DM3 group, respectively; and the GLUT(3) mRNA was reduced by 75.00%, 46.75%, and 17.89% (P < 0.01) in DM1, DM2, and DM3 group, respectively. The abundance of GLUT(1) and GLUT(3) proteins had negative correlation with the blood glucose level (P < 0.01). The density of microvessels in the brain of diabetic rats did not change significantly compared with normal rats.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Chronic hyperglycemia downregulates GLUT(1) and GLUT(3) expression at both mRNA and protein levels in the rat brain, which is not due to the decrease of the density of microvessels. The downregulation of GLUT(1) and GLUT(3) expression might be the adaptive reaction of the body to prevent excessive glucose entering the cell that may lead to cell damage.</p>