Is KPNB3 locus associated with schizophrenia? / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To reconfirm the association of KPNB3 with schizophrenia in Chinese population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2588014 and rs626716 at the KPNB3 locus, were genotyped in 304 Chinese Han family trios consisting of fathers, mothers, and affected offsprings with schizophrenia. These 2 SNPs were detected by PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for genotypic distributions was estimated by the goodness-of-fit test. The UNPHASED program was used to perform transmission disequilibrium test (TDT), haplotype analysis, and pair-wise measure of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between these 2 SNPs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The genotypic distributions of both rs2588014 and rs626716 were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05). The TDT revealed allelic association with rs626716 (chi2 = 9.31, P = 0.0023) but not with rs2588014 (chi2 = 3.44, P = 0.064). The global P-value was 0.0099 for 100 permutations. The haplotype analysis also showed a disease association (chi2 = 25.97, df = 3, P = 0.0000097).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The present study provides further evidence in support of the KPNB3 association with schizophrenia in Chinese population.</p>

Effect of X-rays on expression of caspase-3 and p53 in EL-4 cells and its biological implications / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of X-rays on expression of caspase-3 and p53 protein in EL-4 cells and its implications in induction of apoptosis and polyploid cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Mouse lymphoma cell line (EL-4 cells) was used. Fluorescent staining and flow cytometry analysis were employed for measurement of protein expression, apoptosis, cell cycle, and polyploid cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of caspase-3 protein increased significantly at 8 h and 12 h, compared with that of sham-irradiated control (P<0.05, respectively) and the expression of p53 protein increased significantly at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h, compared with that of sham-irradiated control (P<0.05-P<0.01) in EL-4 cells after 4.0 Gy X-irradiation. Apoptosis of EL-4 cells was increased significantly at 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after 4.0 Gy exposure, compared with that of sham-irradiated control (P<0.05-P<0.001). G2 phase cells were increased significantly at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h (P<0.05-P<0.001). However, no marked change in the number of 8 C polyploid cells was found from 2 to 48 h after 4.0 Gy exposure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expressions of caspase-3 and p53 protein in EL-4 cells are induced by X-rays, which might play an important role in the induction of apoptosis, and the molecular pathway for polyploid formation might be p53-independent.</p>

Searching for a schizophrenia susceptibility gene in the 22q11 region / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate a genetic association for schizophrenia within chromosome 22q11 in a Chinese Han population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis was used to detect three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs165655 (A/G base change) and rs165815 (C/T base change) present in the ARVCF (armadillo repeat gene deletion in velocardiofacial syndrome) locus, and rs756656 (A/C base change) in the LOC128979 (expressed sequence tags, EST) locus, among 100 Chinese family trios consisting of fathers, mothers and affected offspring with schizophrenia. Genotype data were analyzed by using linkage disequilibrium (LD) methods including haplotype relative risk (HRR) analysis, transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and haplotype transmission analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The genotype frequency distributions of three SNPs were all in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05). Both the HRR and the TDT analysis showed that rs165815 was associated with schizophrenia (chi2=6.447, df=1, P=0.011 and chi2=6.313, df=1, P=0.012, respectively), whereas the other two SNPs did not show any allelic association. The haplotype transmission analysis showed a biased transmission for the rs165655-rs165815 haplotype system (chi2=17.224, df=3, P=0.0006) and for the rs756656-rs165655-rs165815 hapoltype system (chi2=20.965, df=7, P=0.0038).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Either the ARVCF gene itself or a nearby locus may confer susceptibility to schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population.</p>

Searching for a schizophrenia susceptibility gene in the 22q11 region / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the genetic association for schizophrenia within the long arm region 1 band 1 of chromosome 22 (22q11) in a Han Chinese population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was used to detect three single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), rs165655 (A/G base change) and rs165815 (C/T base change) present in the ARVCF (armadillo repeat gene deletion in velocardiofacial syndrome) locus, and rs756656 (A/C base change) in the LOC128979 (expressed sequence tags, EST) locus, among 100 nuclear families composed of fathers, mothers and affected offspring with schizophrenia. Genotyping data were analyzed by linkage disequilibrium methods including haplotype relative risk (HRR) analysis, transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and haplotype transmission analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The genotype frequency distributions of three SNPs were all in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium; Both HRR and TDT analysis showed that rs165815 was associated with schizophrenia (P < 0.05), whereas the other two SNPs did not show any allelic association. The haplotype transmission analysis showed a biased transmission for the rs165655-rs165815 haplotype system and for the rs756656-rs165655-rs165815 haplotype system (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Either ARVCF gene itself or a nearby locus might confer susceptibility to schizophrenia in a Han Chinese population.</p>

Effect of ionizing radiation on the expression of p16, cyclinD1 and CDK4 in mouse thymocytes and splenocytes / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of ionizing radiation on the expression of p16, CyclinD1, and CDK4 in mouse thymocytes and splenocytes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fluorescent staining and flow cytometry analysis were employed for the measurement of protein expression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In time course experiments, it was found that the expression of p16 protein was significantly increased at 8, 24, and 48 h for thymocytes (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.05, respectively) and at 24 h for splenocytes (P < 0.05) after whole body irradiation (WBI) with 2.0 Gy X-rays. However, the expression of CDK4 protein was significantly decreased from 8 h to 24 h for thymocytes (P < 0.05-P < 0.01) and from 8 h to 72 h for splenocytes (P < 0.05-P < 0.01). In dose effect experiments, it was found that the expression of p16 protein in thymocytes and splenocytes was significantly increased at 24 h after WBI with 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 Gy (P < 0.05-P < 0.01), whereas the expression of CDK4 protein was significantly decreased with 2.0 Gy for thymocytes (P < 0.05) and 0.5-6.0 Gy for splenocytes (P < 0.05-P < 0.01). Results also showed that the expression of CyclinD1 protein decreased markedly in both thymocytes and splenocytes after exposure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results indicate that the expression of p16 protein in thymocytes and splenocytes can be induced by ionizing radiation, and the p16-CyclinD1/CDK4 pathway may play an important role for G1 arrest of thymocytes induced by X-rays.</p>