An association study of COMT gene polymorphisms with schizophrenia / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association between 8 polymorphisms in the catechol-O-methyl transferase gene (COMT) and schizophrenia in Yuedong-Chaoshan region of China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eight single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), namely rs4680, rs4818, rs165599, rs737865, rs2075507, rs6267, rs6269 and rs4633, in the COMT gene were genotyped in 279 schizophrenia patients and 100 healthy controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no significant difference between any single SNP and schizophrenia. However, association might exist between haplotypes (G)-G-A-A [(rs4680)-rs165599-rs2075507-rs6269] and A-A-C-(G) [rs2075507-rs6269-rs4633-(rs6267)] and schizophrenia.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In the population of Yuedong region of China, the eight SNPs (rs4680, rs4818, rs165599, rs737865, rs2075507, rs6267, rs6269 and rs4633) in the COMT gene are unlikely to play a major role in the susceptibility to schizophrenia. There might be protective haplotypes in the COMT gene against schizophrenia.</p>

Effect of Rongshi granule on renal stone formation and osteopontin expression in rat urolithiasis model / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Rongshi granule on osteopontin(OPN) expression.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The urlisthiasis rats were induced by ethylene glycol (EG) and ammonium chloride, the control group rats were non-treated, and the Rongshi granule groups (low-dose group, middle-dose group and high-dose group) were administered Rongshi granule in addition to EG and ammonium chloride in 21 days. Pooled 24 h urine samples from each group were collected weekly with the use of metabolic cages, the concentration of uric calcium and oxalic acid were respectively measured by EDTA and photoelectric colorimetric method. Eight animals from each group were killed at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days, kidneys were histologic examinaed and immunohistochemical staining.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The expression of kidney osteopontin in model group was obviously higher than that of control group (P <0.01), and was up to the highest at 21 days with 1.4 times (0.281 3/0.201 8) of the control group. The expression of kidney osteopontin in all of the Rongshi granule groups were lower than those of model group (P < 0.05), with an obvious dose-dependent manner. The degree of the kidney calcium oxalate crystal of the rats in all the Rongshi granule groups was much lower than that of model group, and the uric calcium and oxalic acid were much lower than those of model group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Rongshi granule could inhibit the expression of osteopontin in rat urolithiasis model.</p>