AcMNPV-mediated expression of BmK IT promotes the apoptosis of Sf9 cells and replication of AcMNPV / 生理学报

Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch (BmK) venom is a rich source of neurotoxins which bind to various ion channels with high affinity and specificity and thus widely used as compounds to modulate channel gating or channel currents. To promote the insecticidal effects of Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), the gene encoding an excitatory insect toxin, BmK IT, was inserted into the genome of AcMNPV to construct a recombinant baculovirus, AcMNPV-BmK IT. Spodopter frugiperda 9 (Sf9) cells were infected with AcMNPV and AcMNPV-BmK IT respectively for 24 h. Results from the MTT assay, TUNEL assay, analysis of the expression level of apoptosis-related proteins (c-Myc, cleaved-Caspase3, Bcl-2 and Bax) of Sf9 cells, the transcription level of key genes (38K, C42, P78, F) of AcMNPV, and viral propagation assay demonstrated that AcMNPV-mediated expression of BmK IT promoted the apoptosis of Sf9 cells and replication of AcMNPV. The results laid a foundation for further structural and functional analysis of BmK IT.

Prevalence of sleep disorders among 3173 elderly in Taiyuan city:a cross-sectional study / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To investigate the prevalence rates of sleep disorders and the correlatives in the elderly from Taiyuan city.Methods All of the 3173 elderly (aged 60 years to 100 years) in Taiyuan city were investigated at home through questionnaires,regarding their sleep condition.Subjects with sleep disorders were then screened through questionnaires and reexamined/diagnosed by special doctors.Results (1) Among the 3173 elderly,2132 subjects complained of having sleep disorders.The total prevalence of sleep disorders was 67.2%.The prevalence rates of chronic insomnia,multi-dreams,habitual snoring and daytime drowsiness were 39.65%,38.58%,26.66% and 34.32% respectively.(2)In the male elderly,the prevalence rates of being awaken early,having more urination at night,daytime drowsiness,sleep-respiratory disturbance and indiscriminate sleep rhythm increased with age(P＜0.01).However,in the female elderly,the prevalence rates of being awaken early,having daytime drowsiness and indiscriminate sleep rhythm also had a tendency of increase (P＜0.01).(3) Living alone,emotional disorder,pain and nocturia (P＜0.01) were the risk factors of chronic insomnia in the male elderly while living alone,numbness/pruritus(P＜0.01),emotional disorder (P＜0.05),were the risk factors of chronic insomnia in the female elderly.Conclusion The prevalence rates of some sleep disturbances in the elderly in Taiyuan city were generally correspondent with prevalence rates reported elsewhere that called for more attention be paid to the effect of mood disturbance and diseases related to sleep condition among the eldexly.