Compatibility Mechanism of Mineral Medicine Os Draconis in Bupleuri Radix-containing Tri-herbal Medicines Based on Supramolecular Systems / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveBy starting with the combination of Os Draconis， Bupleuri Radix， and Ostreae Concha， the role of mineral medicine Os Draconis in the combination of the Bupleuri Radix-containing tri-herbal medicines was preliminarily explored from the perspective of supramolecular system formation. Method① The appearance and Tyndall phenomenon of single decoction of Os Draconis， Bupleuri Radix， and Ostreae Concha， as well as co-decoction of Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis， Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis-Ostreae Concha， and Bupleuri Radix-Ostreae Concha were observed， and the average particle size， dispersion coefficient， and Zeta potential of suspension particles in each decoction were determined. The micromorphology of supramolecular structures was observed by scanning electron microscope （SEM）. ② The pH of different compatibility systems， liquid viscosity coefficient， liquid surface tension， freeze-dried powder yield rate， and other physical properties were determined， and the interaction of different compatibility systems was detected by infrared absorption spectroscopy （FTIR） and UV-visible spectrophotometry （UV-Vis）. ③ The composition and content difference of different compatible systems were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）. ResultCompared with the single decoction， the co-decoction had more obvious turbidity and Tyndall phenomenon. The particles in the co-decoction suspension were smaller and more evenly distributed， and the Zeta potential was reduced， indicating a more stable system. Under SEM， Bupleuri Radix was irregularly lamellar， and Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis and Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis-Ostreae Concha were mainly spherical nanoparticles. Bupleuri Radix-Ostreae Concha was irregularly lamellar， with a small number of spherical nanoparticles. The pH of the single decoction of Bupleuri Radix and co-decoction increased， and the viscosity coefficient increased. The liquid surface tension decreased. The freeze-dried powder yield rate of the Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis co-decoction was the highest， followed by Bupleuri Radix-Ostreae Concha decoction and Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis-Ostreae Concha decoction， and the yield rate of Bupleuri Radix single decoction was the lowest. The main change of FTIR was the stretching vibration of -OH， and the co-decoction moved to the low-frequency direction obviously. UV-Vis showed that the maximum absorption occurred at 295.8 nm for all groups， and the absorption intensity was different （Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis>Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis-Ostreae Concha>Bupleuri Radix-Ostreae Concha>Bupleuri Radix）. The components of Bupleuri Radix were used as the indexes， and the content of methanol extract determined by HPLC was higher than that of water extract， and the components of Bupleuri Radix single decoction were mainly saikosaponin a （SSa） and saikosaponin c （SSc）， which were slightly higher after co-decoction compatibility. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS could identify 37 compounds in both single decoction and co-decoction. ConclusionThe combination of Bupleuri Radix， Os Draconis， and Ostreae Concha can form a smaller， more uniform， and stable nano-sized supramolecular system， which is conducive to the dissolution of the main components of Bupleuri Radix， and the Os Draconis contributes the most in this process.

Effect of acupuncture at "Zhibian" (BL 54) through "Shuidao" (ST 28) on the expression of apoptosis-related factors in rats with premature ovarian insufficiency based on oxidative stress / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the possible mechanism of acupuncture at "Zhibian" (BL 54) through "Shuidao" (ST 28) on premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) from the perspective of oxidative stress.@*METHODS@#Sixty female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group, a sham acupuncture group, a medication group, and an acupuncture group, 12 rats in each group. Except the blank group, the rats in the remaining groups were intraperitoneally injected with cyclophosphamide to establish the POI model. After the model was successfully established, the rats in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at "Zhibian" (BL 54) through "Shuidao" (ST 28), with a depth of about 12 mm, and the needle was retained for 30 min; the acupuncture was given once a day, for a total of 4 weeks. The rats in the sham acupuncture group were treated with blunt-head needle to tap the skin surface of "Zhibian" (BL 54), without penetrating the skin, once a day for 4 weeks. The rats in the medication group were treated with estradiol valerate by gastric gavage for 4 weeks. After the intervention, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ovarian tissue was detected by fluorescence probe; the expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), forkhead box O1 (FoxO1), tumor suppressor gene protein 53 (p53) and p53 up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (Puma) mRNA and protein in ovarian tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the blank group, the level of ROS and the expression of JNK mRNA, p-JNK protein, FoxO1, p53, Puma mRNA and protein in the ovarian tissue in the model group were increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the level of ROS and the expression of p-JNK protein, FoxO1, p53, Puma mRNA and protein in the ovarian tissue in the sham acupuncture group were slightly reduced, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The level of ROS and the expression of JNK mRNA, p-JNK protein, FoxO1, p53, Puma mRNA and protein in the ovarian tissue in the acupuncture group and the medication group were reduced (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture at "Zhibian" (BL 54) through "Shuidao" (ST 28) could improve the level of oxidative stress, down-regulate the expression of apoptosis-related factors JNK, FoxO1, p53 and Puma induced by oxidative stress, and inhibit the premature failure of ovarian reserve function caused by apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells in POI rats.

Effect of "Zhibian" (BL 54)-to-"Shuidao" (ST 28) needle insertion on the expression of Fas/FADD/Caspase-8 of death receptor pathway in rats with primary ovarian insufficiency / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of "Zhibian" (BL 54)-to-"Shuidao" (ST 28) needle insertion on the ovarian function in the rats with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and the potential effect mechanism based on the Fas/FADD/Caspase-8 of death receptor pathway.@*METHODS@#Forty-eight female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group, a medication group and an acupuncture group, with 12 rats in each group. Except in the blank group, the rats in the other groups were intraperitoneally injected with cyclophosphamide to establish the POI model. In the acupuncture group, after successful modeling, the intervention was given with "Zhibian" (BL 54)-to- "Shuidao" (ST 28) needle insertion, once daily, 30 min in each intervention; and the duration of intervention was 4 weeks. In the medication group, estradiol valerate tablets were administered intragastrically, 0.09 mg•kg-1•d-1, for 4 weeks. The general situation and the estrous cycle of the rats were compared among groups. Using ELISA, the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) in the serum were detected. HE staining was adopted to observe the morphological changes of ovarian tissue of rats. The protein expression of Fas, FADD and Caspase-8 in ovarian tissue was detected with immunohistochemistry and Western blot.@*RESULTS@#After modeling, except the rats of the blank group, the rats of the other groups had dry fur, lost hair, low spirits, reduced food intake, increased urination and loose stool. After intervention, the stool became regular gradually in the acupuncture group and the medication group. The percentage of estrous cycle disturbance was increased in the rats of the model group when compared with the blank group (P<0.01); in comparison with the model group, the percentages of estrous cycle disturbance were reduced in the acupuncture group and the medication group after intervention (P<0.01). When compared with the blank group, the body mass and E2 content in the serum were lower (P<0.01), the levels of FSH and LH in the serum and the protein expression levels of Fas, FADD and Caspase-8 were increased (P<0.01) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the body mass and E2 contents in the serum were higher (P<0.01), the levels of FSH and LH in the serum and the protein expression levels of Fas, FADD and Caspase-8 were reduced (P<0.01) in the acupuncture group and the medication group.@*CONCLUSION@#"Zhibian" (BL 54)-to-"Shuidao" (ST 28) needle insertion can effectively improve the ovarian function of POI rats, and its effect mechanism may be related to regulating the serum sex hormone levels, reducing the expression of Fas, FADD and Caspase-8 in ovarian tissue and retarding apoptosis of ovarian cells.

A method for measuring the ADCP potency of anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody / 药学学报

A method to measure the antibody-dependent cell-mediated phagocytosis (ADCP) potency of anti-CD38 mAb was developed based on design of experiment (DoE) with a Jurkat/NFAT/CD32a-FcεRIγ transgenic cell line as the effector cell, the Daudi cell line as the target cells, and luciferase as the detection system. The DoE method was used for optimization of experimental parameters and methodological validation. The results show that anti-CD38 mAb exhibits a dose-response relationship with the following four-parameter equation: y = (A - D) / [1 + (x / C)B] + D. Several experimental parameters were optimized by statistical experimental design and determined as follows: the working concentration of anti-CD38 mAb was 800-20.81 ng·mL-1, the density of the target cells was 7.5×104 per well, and the density of effector cells was 2.5×104 per well, with an induction time of 6 h. The method showed good specificity. The recovery rate for samples from 5 different groups showed that the relative potencies of anti-CD38 mAb were (59.97 ± 4.74) %, (82.44 ± 5.15) %, (110.69 ± 11.71) %, (129.23 ± 5.22)% and (162.15 ± 3.66) %. The recoveries ranged from 103% to 120% and the RSDs of the above results were all less than 11%. The linear detection range was 50%-150%. Based on DoE design, this method for measuring ADCP potency of anti-CD38 mAb was optimized and validated with good specificity, repeatability and accuracy. This method can be used for evaluation of ADCP biological activity of anti-CD38 mAbs.

Interlaboratory method validation of HPLC-FMA for determination of polysorbate 80 in monoclonal antibodies / 药学学报

The high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence micelle assay (HPLC-FMA) method for the content determination of polysorbate 80 in monoclonal antibody drugs was validated to study its applicability and transferability between various laboratories, and the feasibility to be included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Both J.T. Baker and Nanjing Well-sourced polysorbate 80 was used in the collaborative validation of polysorbate 80 content analysis in seven different laboratories. The results show that when the protein concentration was no more than 20 mg·mL-1 and the concentration of polysorbate 80 ranged from 0.05 to 0.5 mg·mL-1, the method had good specificity. The recovery rates of the spiked samples ranged from 92.20% to 117.70% for J.T.Baker and from 93.90% to 117.20% for Nanjing Well. The intra-laboratory precision (%RSD) was less than 4.30% for J.T. Baker, and less than 2.60% for Nanjing Well, while the overall precision was less than 5.45% for J.T. Baker, and less than 6.70% for Nanjing Well. The linear correlation coefficient was more than 0.98 for J.T. Baker and more than 0.99 for Nanjing Well. The results of the collaborative validation prove that the HPLC-FMA method has good accuracy, precision, linearity, and specificity, and could be used for release control analysis of polysorbate 80 content in monoclonal antibodies across different laboratories.

Astragaloside IV alleviating chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced cardiac injury by enhancing autophagy / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the protective effects of astragaloside IV (AS IV) on chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) -induced cardiac injury. Methods Twenty-four male adult Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control, CIH, CIH+ASIV, and ASIV group, 6 rats in each group. Circular nitrogen and oxygen were filled to make oxygen concentration change between 9%-21% for the CIH treated rats. The exposure cycle was repeated every 3 minutes, 8 hours/ day for 35 days. ASIV was given by intragastric administration daily before intermittent hypoxia exposure in the CIH+ASIV group and AS IV group. The control group and CIH group were given normal saline of the same quantity. Echocardiography was used to analyse cardiac function. Myocardial structure was assessed by HE and wheat germ agglutinin staining. The apoptosis of cardiomyocytes was detected by TUNEL assay. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in heart were detected by commercial kits. Western blotting was used to evaluate the levels of Bcl-2, Bax, LC3, Beclinl, P62, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Results In the CIH group, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular internal diameter at end-systole (LVIDs) were inhibited, the myocyte cells showed disordered arranged, enlarged diameters and higher apoptosis rate. The MDA content was significantly elevated and the SOD activity decreased in CIH group when compared with those of control. What's more, the expression level of Beclin 1 decreased while the P62 expression and the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio increased in the CIH group. Compared with the model group, the LVEF, LVIDs, SOD activity, LC3 H / I ratio, and Beclinl expression of rats in the CIH + AS IV group increased. The cardiomyocytes in the rats of CIH + ASIV group showed normal arrangement and diameters. The apoptosis rate, MDA content, P62 expression and the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio decreased in the CIH+ASIV group when compared with the CIH group. Conclusion AS IV can alleviate CIH-induced cardiac injury by promoting autophagy via mTOR.

ADAR1 Knockout Inhibits Notch1-induced T-ALL in Mice / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of ADAR1 on the occurrence and development of mouse T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Lck-Cre; ADAR1lox/lox mice were generated through interbreeding. The lineage-cells of Lck-Cre; ADAR1lox/lox mice and the control were enriched respectively by the means of MACS, and the lin- cells were transfected with retrovirus carrying MSCV-ICN1-IRES-GFP fusion gene. Then the transfection efficiency was detected by the means of FACS, and the same number of GFP+ cells were transplanted into lethally irradiated recipient mice to observe the survival of mice in 2 recipient group after transplantation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>T cell-specific knockout ADAR1 mice were generated, and Notch1-induced T-ALL mouse model was established successfully. The leukemia with T-ALL characteristics occured in the mice of control group, but did not in the ADAR1 kmockout mice after transplantation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>ADAR1 plays a key role in the incidence and development of Notch1-induced T-ALL.</p>

Expression of CD48 as a live marker to distinguish division of hematopoietic stem cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

Hematopoietic stem cells are capable of self-renewal or differentiation when they divide. Three types of cell divisions exist. A dividing stem cell may generate 2 new stem cells (symmetrical renewal division), or 2 differentiating cells (symmetrical differentiation division), or 1 cell of each type (asymmetrical division). This study was aimed to explore an efficient and stable method to distinguish the way of cell division in hematopoietic stem cells. Previous studies showed that the distribution of Numb in a cell could be used to distinguish the type of cell division in various kinds of cells. Therefore, the distribution of Numb protein was detected by immunofluorescence in mitotic CD48(-)CD150(+)LSK cells of mice exploring the relationship between Numb protein and centrosomes. Since CD48 positive marks the HSC that have lost the ability to reconstitute the blood system in mice, CD48 marker could be used to distinguish cell fate decision between self-renewal and differentiation as a living marker. In this study, the CD48(-)CD150(+)LSK cells were sorted from bone marrow cells of mice and the cells were directly labeled with Alexa Fluor (AF) 488-conjugated anti-CD48 antibody in living cultures. After 3 days, the percentage of AF488(+) cells was evaluated under microscope and by FACS. Then colony forming cell assay (CFC) was performed and the ability of cell proliferation were compared between AF488(+) and AF488(-) cells. The results showed that Numb could be used to distinguish different cell division types of hematopoietic stem cells, which was symmetrically or asymmetrically segregated in mitotic CD48(-)CD150(+)LSK cells. The self-labeled fluorochrome could be detected both by FACS as well as microscope. There were about 40% AF488(+) cells after 3 day-cultures in medium titrated with self-labeled AF 488-conjugated anti-CD48 antibody, and the results were consistent between confocal fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry analysis. The colony forming ability of AF488(+) cells was significantly higher than that of AF488(-) cells (P < 0.05). The proliferation ability of AF488(-) cells was also significantly higher than AF488(+) cells (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the expression of CD48 can distinguish cell division of hematopoietic stem cells and can be used as a live marker for the loss of stemness. In comparison with the Numb protein staining, this method can be used in living cells, thus provides greater convenience for subsequent cell culture studies and cell transplantation experiments.

Commonly used cre transgenic mice and their applications in hematopoietic system / 中国实验血液学杂志

Cre-lox recombination system consists of two elements: Cre recombinase enzyme and lox sites. Cre recombinase can recombine the lox site sequences by specifically detecting and cutting them. The direction and position of lox sites determine the functional effects of Cre enzyme such as deletion, inversion or chromosomal translocation. The hematopoietic system of mouse consists of multi-lineages and various developmental stage hematopoietic cells that are differentiated from hematopoietic stem cells (hematopoietic stem cells, HSC). The hematopoietic stem cells are maintained in the bone marrow microenvironment (niche). Currently, a variety of floxed conditional-knockout mice, recognized by Cre-lox recombination system, are used for the study of the hematopoietic system. This review summarizes the commonly used Cre transgenic mice and their applications in the study of hematopoietic system.

Identification of novel KIT gene mutations in two Chinese families with piebaldism / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen for potential mutations of KIT gene for two Chinese families affected with piebaldism in order to facilitate genetic counseling and assisted reproduction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Peripheral blood samples were collected from 2 patients of family 1 and the proband and 3 unaffected members of family 2 for the extraction of DNA and RNA. PCR-sequencing and reverse transcription PCR-sequencing were used to screen KIT mutations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All of the patients from family 1 were found to carry heterozygous IVS12+2-+7delinsACATCTTTA, a splicing mutation undocumented in the human gene mutation data base (HGMD) database. This mutation has resulted in c.1765-1779del in cDNA and p.Gly592Ala/del:E12, which has led to skipping of exon 12 and no expression of cDNA. The proband from family 2 has carried a heterozygous c.2401A>C mutation in KIT gene. The same mutation was not found in unaffected members.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>We have attained definite diagnosis for both families, which has facilitated genetic counseling and assisted reproduction for our patients and their family members.</p>

Expression of aquaporin 3 and aquaporin 9 is regulated by oleic acid through the PI3K/Akt and p38 MAPK signaling pathways / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of oleic acid (OA) on expression of aquaglyceroporin genes, AQP3 and AQP9, in hepatocyte steatosis and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms using an in vitro system.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HepG2 cells were treated with OA at different concentration to establish in vitro models of nonalcoholic hepatocyte steatosis. The corresponding extents of hepatic steatosis modeling were assessed by oil red O staining and optical density (OD) measurements of the intracellular fat content. The model lines were then treated with inhibitors of the PI3K/Akt and p38 MAPK signaling pathway factors and effects on AQP3/9 expression was measured by real time RT-PCR and western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The fat concentration, indicative of hepatic steatosis, increased in conjunction with increased concentrations of OA (0 less than 250 less than 500 mumol/L). OA exposure also down-regulated AQP3 mRNA and up-regulated AQP9 mRNA levels in a concentration-dependent manner. The most robust changes in expression occurred in response to the 500 mumol/L concentration of OA for both AQP3 (0.47+/-0.18; t = 4.5450, P less than 0.05) and AQP9 (1.57+/-0.21; t = 3.0306, P less than 0.05). Treatment with OA + PI3K pathway inhibitor (LY294004) significantly decreased AQP9 mRNA expression (4.55+/-0.62) as compared to the control group (1.00+/-0.10; t = 9.7909, P less than 0.01), that 500 mumol/L OA group (2.43+/-0.53; t = 4.5018, P less than 0.05), and the LY294002 group (1.90+/-0.16; t = 7.1683, P less than 0.01). Treatment with p38 MAPK pathway inhibitor (SB230580) significantly increased the OA-suppressed level of AQP3 mRNA to the level detected in the control group (1.27+/-0.11; t = 5.7455, P less than 0.01) and decreased the OA-stimulated AQP9 mRNA (0.38+/-0.09; t = 6.5727, P less than 0.01). No significant changes in mRNA expression of AQP3/9 were observed with inhibition of the ERK1/2 and JNK signal transduction pathways. The OA-induced changes in protein expression levels of AQR3 and AQP9 followed a similar trend of the genes. Finally, OA suppressed the level of phosphorylated Akt (from 0.21+/-0.02 to 0.13+/-0.03; t = 3.8431, P less than 0.05) but elevated the level of phosphorylated p38 (from 0.58+/-0.06 to 1.02+/-0.10; t = 12.5289, P less than 0.01). Again, OA treatment produced no significant affect on ERK1/2 and JNK phosphorylation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>OA down-regulates AQP3 expression by stimulating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, and up-regulates the AQP9 by blocking the PI3K/Akt pathway and activating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.</p>

A de novo partial 5p deletion and cryptic 18p duplication detected by SNP-Array in a boy featuring Cri du Chat syndrome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the karyotype of a boy suspected to have Cri du Chat syndrome with severe clinical manifestations, and to assess the recurrence risk for his family.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>High-resolution GTG banding was performed to analyze the patient and his parents. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with Cri du Chat syndrome region probe as well as subregional probes mapped to 5pter, 5qter, 18pter, 18qter, and whole chromosome painting probe 18 was performed to analyze the patient and his parents. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphism-based arrays (SNP-Array) analysis with Affymetrix GeneChip Genome-wide Human SNP Nsp/Sty 6.0 were also performed to analyze the patient.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Karyotype analysis indicated that the patient has carried a terminal deletion in 5p. FISH with Cri du Chat syndrome region probe confirmed that D5S23 and D5S721 loci are deleted. SNP-Array has detected a 15 Mb deletion at 5p and a 2 Mb duplication at 18p. FISH with 5p subtelomeric probes and 18p subtelomeric probe further confirmed that the derivative chromosome 5 has derived from a translocation between 5p and 18p, which has given rise to a 46,XY,der(5)t(5;18)(p15.1;p11.31)dn karyotype.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A de novo 5p partial deletion in conjunction with a cryptic 18p duplication has been detected in a boy featuring Cri-du-Chat syndrome. His parents, both with negative findings, have a low recurrence risk. For its ability to detect chromosomal imbalance, SNP-Array has a great value for counseling of similar patients and assessment of recurrence risks.</p>

Mutation screening and prenatal diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis complex / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen mutations of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) patients to confirm a clinical diagnosis of TSC, and to perform prenatal diagnosis for families with mutations.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this study, PCR-denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography(DHPLC), supplemented with sequencing when necessary, was used to screen TSC1 and TSC2 mutations in 21 patients from 19 pedigrees visited author's hospital in the last five years. For novel mutations, one hundred unrelated healthy individuals were screened to exclude the possibility of polymorphism.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Seventeen different mutations were found in 21 patients of 19 pedigrees with 13 being novel mutations, including c. 2672delA, c. 2672insA of TSC1 gene and c.4918insCGCC, c.1143delG, Intron27+1 G>A, c.1957-1958delAG, Intron5+1 G>A, c.910insCT, c.2753 C>G, c.4078dupAGCAAGTCCAGCTCCTC, Intron 11 -1 G>A, Intron 14+1 G>A, c.684 C>A of TSC2 gene, indicating a high frequency of de novo mutations in TSC. Three of these mutations were in the TSC1 gene (N762S, c.2672insA and c. 2672delA), while all remaining 14 were in the TSC2 gene. Prenatal diagnosis for TSC was performed for 7 fetuses from these pedigrees. The six fetuses that tested negative for TSC mutations were carried to term and, to date, none of these children has shown symptoms of TSC.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Author's data showed that a mutation detection rate of tuberous sclerosis was 89.5%(17/19) among patients in author's hospital. The ratio of TSC2 and TSC1 mutations was about 1:1 in the familial cases, but TSC2 mutation was more common than TSC1 mutation in sporadic cases. Author's data demonstrated that birth of TSC children for those with familial history of TSC could be prevented through prenatal diagnosis.</p>

Mutation screening and prenatal diagnosis of a pedigree with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Mutation screening was performed in a pedigree of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT) and prenatal diagnosis was performed.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this study, reverse transcription-PCR-sequencing and PCR-sequencing, as well as restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) and A/T-cloned-sequencing, were used to screen the ITGA2B and ITGB3 mutation in a pedigree with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia in the RNA and DNA level. Prenatal diagnosis was performed for this pedigree.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Deletion of 99 bps was found in the cDNA of the patient in the pedigree, leading to deletion of 33 codons (from codon 160 to 192). After genomic analysis, the patient was found to be a compound heterozygote of c.374C to G mutation and intron 4(IVS-4) + 5 G to C mutation. The two mutations were inherited from the parents. IVS-4 + 5 G to C mutation was a point mutation in the splice site, while c.374C to G mutation was out of the splice site. But both of them resulted in the same splice pattern in RNA. The two mutations were novel mutations which have not been reported in Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) and the mutation data base of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia. The results of ITGB3 gene screening is normal in the proband and his parents.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Two novel mutation, c.374C to G and IVS-4 + 5 G to C were found in this study, which might be the cause of GT in the pedigree.</p>

Mutation screening of the F VIII gene in 10 hemophilia A families / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the F VIII gene mutations of patients and suspected female carriers in 10 Hemophilia A (HA) families, and to guide the prenatal diagnosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>PCR, denaturinghigh performance liquid chromatogramphy (DHPLC) and DNA sequencing technologies were applied to screen the F VIII gene of 8 HA patients and 12 suspected female carriers in the 10 families. Linkage analysis was performed by using St 14(DXS 52), intron 13 (CA)n and EX18/Bcl I of the F VIII gene in the HA families. In prenatal diagnosis, we screened the same mutation found in the patients. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism was applied to detect the new missense mutations of F VIII gene in 100 unrelated healthy individuals to exclude the possibility of polymorphism.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Five missense mutations, 3 frameshift mutations, 2 nonsense mutations and 2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were identified in 10 the HA families. Among them, c.878A to G, c.1015A to G, c.6870G to T, c.1282delA, c.3072_3073insT, c.4880_4881insA and c.5000G to A were novel mutations or polymorphism. No missense mutations c.878A G, c.1015A to G and c.6870G to T, were found in the 100 healthy unrelated controls. (2) Nine suspected female carriers were confirmed at the gene level. (3) X risk chromosome could be determined to in 4 HA families by genetic linkage analysis. (4) Among the four fetuses for prenatal diagnosis, 2 were normal, 1 was carrier and the remaining 1 was a patient.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Six novel mutations, i.e., c.878A to G, c.1015A to G, c.6870G to T, c.1282delA, c.3072_3073insT and c.4880_4881insA, were identified in this study. PCR, DHPLC and DNA sequencing could be used to screen the gene mutations of HA patients, to carry out carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis of HA families efficiently, by combining with restriction endonuclease analysis and genetic linkage analysis.</p>

Identification of a cryptic 1p36.3 microdeletion in a patient with Prader-Willi-like syndrome features / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the karyotype of a patient with Prader-Willi-like syndrome features.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Chromosomal high resolution banding was carried out to analyze the karyotype of the patient, and methylation-specific PCR was used to analyze the imprinting region of chromosome 15. Subtelomeric region was screened by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and real-time quantitative PCR were further performed to identify the deleted region.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No abnormality was discovered by high resolution karyotype analysis and methylation-specific PCR studies. MLPA analysis showed that the patient had a deletion of 1p subtelomeric area, which was confirmed by FISH analysis. The deleted region was shown within a 4.2 Mb in the distal 1p by 3 BAC FISH probes of 1p36 combined with real-time PCR technique. Family pedigree investigation showed the chromosome abnormality was de novo. Therefore, partial monosomy 1p36 was likely responsible for the mental retardation of the patient.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Molecular cytogenetic techniques should be performed to those patients with Prader-Willi-like syndrome features, to determine their karyotypes.</p>

Relationship between Trp64Arg mutation in the β3-adrenergic receptor gene and metabolic syndrome: a seven-year follow-up study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>It has been shown that the β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) gene Trp64Arg mutation was closely related to obesity and insulin resistance, and may be related to the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the β3-AR gene mutation and the prevalence of MS.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A seven-year follow-up study was initiated in 2000, with 496 samples of simplex obese subjects (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m(2)) and 248 normal-weight subjects. According to the β3-AR genotypes, the subjects were classified as Trp64 homozygote group and Arg64 carrier group and after 7 years the prevalence of MS was determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>According to the baseline profile, there were no significant differences in the adiposity, blood pressure, lipid profile, fasting plasma glucose and fasting insulin between Trp64 homozygote group and Arg64 carrier group either in obesity or normal-weight subjects. The results of follow-up study indicated that in obese men the prevalence rate of MS was much higher in Arg64 carrier group than that in Trp64 homozygote group (54.76% vs. 40.85%, P < 0.05), but there was no statistical difference in women of the above groups. The prevalence rate of MS in obese men of both Trp64 homozygote group and Arg64 carrier obese group were obviously higher than that in women of the above groups (40.85% vs. 18.27% and 54.76% vs 21.28%, all P < 0.005). Differences were not statistically significant in the prevalence of MS for normal weight Trp64 homozygote group and normal weight Arg64 carrier group, either between men, between women, or between men and women. Comparison of populations indicated that no matter with the β3-AR gene mutation or not, the prevalence of MS in obese subjects was significantly higher than normal weight subjects (χ(2) = 28.240 and χ(2) = 15.586, all P < 0.005). Logistic analysis showed that the mutation of β3-AR gene was associated with the prevalence of MS in men.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The mutation of β3-AR gene is the independent risk factor for the prevalence of MS in men.</p>

Mutation screening of the TYR and P gene in three patients with oculocutaneous albinism / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the mutations of the tyrosinase gene (TYR) and P gene in patients with oculocutaneous albinism (OCA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) were applied to detect the mutations in all exons of TYR gene and P gene. Then DNA sequencing and restriction endonuclease analysis were used to confirm the mutations detected by DHPLC. Novel mutations were screened in 100 unrelated persons with normal phenotypes to exclude the possibility of polymorphism.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Two mutations were detected in the P gene of the three patients and none in TYR gene. Heterozygous mutation of T450M in exon 13 of the P gene was detected in patient 1. Patient 2 had a heterozygous mutation of T450M in exon 13 and a heterozygous mutation of G775R in exon 23 of the P gene. Patient 3 had a heterozygous mutation of G775R as well. Restriction endonuclease analysis of the P gene exon 13 showed that the Oli I site had partly disappeared resulting from the heterozygous mutation T450M in patient 1 and patient 2, but not in 100 unrelated individuals. The heterozygous mutation T450M is a novel mutation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Gene diagnosis of OCA can be carried out effectively by combining PCR, DHPLC, DNA sequencing and restriction endonuclease analysis.</p>

Delineating a supernumerary marker chromosome by combining several cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic techniques / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To characterize a supernumerary marker chromosome (SMC) by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and traditional cytogenetic techniques, and to explore the clinical application of these techniques in delineating de novo marker chromosomes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A mental retardation patient received chromosome test by ordinary G banding. CGH and FISH techniques were used to analyze the origin of the de novo SMC, and N banding technique and C banding techniques were used to analyze the SMC structure. The phenotypic effects of the SMC were analyzed after the karyotype was determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>By G banding technique, the patient was showed to have a mosaic karyotype with SMC: mos.47, XX, +mar [31]/48, XX, +2mar[29]. CGH analysis showed a gain of 15q11 --> q14, and the result was confirmed by FISH with chromosome 15 painting probe. The further FISH analysis showed the SMC had two signals with UBE3A probe for detecting Prader-willi syndrome/Angelman syndrome (PWS/AS). N banding and C banding analysis showed the SMC had a double satellite and double centromere, respectively. Combined with the above results, the karyotype of the patient was: mos.47, XX, +der (15) (pter --> q14::q14 --> pter) [31]/48, XX, +2der (15) (pter --> q14::q14 --> pter) [29]. ish der(15)(WCP15+, UBE3A++, PML-).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CGH is a valuable method to detect imbalanced chromosomal rearrangement. Combined with FISH and the traditional cytogenetic technique, it provides a valuable technique platform for characterizing the structure of the de novo SMC, and a basis for exploring the relation between karyotype and phenotype, prognosis and recurrent risk.</p>

Mutation detection of PKD1 gene in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney diseases / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect gene mutation in the patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) analyses were performed in 3o single copy region of PKD 1 gene (PKD1). DNA sequencing were carried out on PCR products with abnormal peak shape afterwards.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A new nonsense mutation (C11901A in exon 42 of PKD1 was identified to cause serine in position 3897 turning to a stop codon. A missense mutation, C10737T, was detected in exon 35 which caused threonine in position 3509 turn to methionine. Two kinds of samesense mutation, G11824A and C11860T in exon 42, were found in normal control.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PKD1 mutation were detected successfully by PCR-DHPLC. A new nonsense mutation, a missense mutation and two polymorphisms are identified in this study.</p>