Novel Compound Heterozygous Mutations in the SYNE1 Gene in a Taiwanese Family: A Case Report and Literature Review

Mutations in the synaptic nuclear envelope protein 1 (SYNE1) gene are associated with substantial clinical heterogeneity. Here, we report the first case of SYNE1 ataxia in Taiwan due to two novel truncating mutations. Our patient, a 53-year-old female, exhibited pure cerebellar ataxia with c.1922del in exon 18 and c. C3883T mutations in exon 31. Previous studies have indicated that the prevalence of SYNE1 ataxia among East Asian populations is low. In this study, we identified 27 cases of SYNE1 ataxia from 22 families in East Asia. Of the 28 patients recruited in this study (including our patient), 10 exhibited pure cerebellar ataxia, and 18 exhibited ataxia plus syndromes. We could not find an exact correlation between genotypes and phenotypes. Additionally, we established a precise molecular diagnosis in our patient’s family and extended the findings on the ethnic, phenotypic, and genotypic diversity of the SYNE1 mutational spectrum.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of different parts of Prunella vulgaris by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and UPLC / 中国中药杂志

Prunellae Spica is the dried spica of Prunella vulgaris belonging to Labiatae and it is widely used in pharmaceutical and general health fields. As a traditional Chinese medicine cultivated on a large scale, it produces a large amount of non-medicinal parts, which are discarded because they are not effectively used. To analyze the chemical constituents in the different samples from spica, seed, stem, and leaf of P. vulgaris, and explore the application value and development prospect of these parts, this study used ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupoles time of flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) to detect chemical constituents in different parts of P. vulgaris. As a result, 117 compounds were detected. Among them, 87 compounds were identified, including 32 phenolic acids, 8 flavonoids, and 45 triterpenoid saponins. Some new triterpenoid saponins containing the sugar chain with 4-6 sugar units were found. Further, multivariate statistical analysis was conducted on BPI chromatographic peaks of multiple batches of different parts, and the results showed that spica had the most abundant chemical constituents, including salviaflaside and linolenic acid highly contained in the seed and phenolic acids, flavonoids, and triterpenoid saponins in the stem and leaf. In general, the constituents in the spica were composed of those in the seed, stem, and leaf. UPLC was used to determine the content of 6 phenolic acids(danshensu, protocatechuic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, caffeic acid, salviaflaside, and rosmarinic acid) in different parts. The content of other phenolic acids in the seed was generally lower than that in the spica except that of salviaflaside. The content of salviaflaside in the spica was higher than that in the stem and leaf, but the content of other phenolic acids in the spica was not significantly different from that in the stem. The content of protocatechuic aldehyde and caffeic acid in the spica was lower than that in the leaf. DPPH free radical scavenging method was used to detect the antioxidant activity of four parts, and there was no significant difference in the antioxidant activity between the spica and the stem and leaf, but that was significantly higher than the seed. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of these parts was correlated with the content of total phenolic acids. Based on the above findings, the stem and leaf of P. vulgaris have potential application value. Considering the traditional medication rule, it is feasible to use the whole plant as a medicine. Alternatively, salviaflaside, occurring in the seed, can be used as a marker compound for the quality evaluation of Prunellae Spica, if only using spica as the medicinal part of P. vulgaris, as described in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition).

Virtual Screening and Testing of GSK-3 Inhibitors Using Human SH-SY5Y Cells Expressing Tau Folding Reporter and Mouse Hippocampal Primary Culture under Tau Cytotoxicity

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is an important serine/threonine kinase that implicates in multiple cellular processes and links with the neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this study, structure-based virtual screening was performed to search database for compounds targeting GSK-3β from Enamine’s screening collection. Of the top-ranked compounds, 7 primary hits underwent a luminescent kinase assay and a cell assay using human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells expressing Tau repeat domain (TauRD) with pro-aggregant mutation ΔK280. In the kinase assay for these 7 compounds, residual GSK-3β activities ranged from 36.1% to 90.0% were detected at the IC50 of SB-216763. In the cell assay, only compounds VB-030 and VB-037 reduced Tau aggregation in SH-SY5Y cells expressing ΔK280 TauRD-DsRed folding reporter. In SH-SY5Y cells expressing ΔK280 TauRD, neither VB-030 nor VB-037 increased expression of GSK-3α Ser21 or GSK-3β Ser9. Among extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT), mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (P38) and mitogenactivated protein kinase 8 (JNK) which modulate Tau phosphorylation, VB-037 attenuated active phosphorylation of P38 Thr180/ Tyr182, whereas VB-030 had no effect on the phosphorylation status of ERK, AKT, P38 or JNK. However, both VB-030 and VB-037 reduced endogenous Tau phosphorylation at Ser202, Thr231, Ser396 and Ser404 in neuronally differentiated SH-SY5Y expressing ΔK280 TauRD. In addition, VB-030 and VB-037 further improved neuronal survival and/or neurite length and branch in mouse hippocampal primary culture under Tau cytotoxicity. Overall, through inhibiting GSK-3β kinase activity and/or p-P38 (Thr180/Tyr182), both compounds may serve as promising candidates to reduce Tau aggregation/cytotoxicity for AD treatment.

Effects of using hand-held vibration tool on work-related musculoskeletal disorders in automobile factory workers / 中国职业医学

@#Objective - To analyze the effect of using vibration tools on the prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders （ ） Methods ， - WMSDs in automobile factory workers. By judgment sampling method front line workers with more than one year of working experience in an automobile factory were selected as the research subjects. Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used for investigation. The workers were divided into the control group and the vibration tool group. The propensity score ∶ ， matching method was used to balance the confounding factors of the two groups of workers by 1 1 and 568 people were Results included in each group. The prevalence of WMSDs was compared between the two groups after matching. After ， ， ， ， ， ， matching the prevalence of WMSDs in the shoulder elbow hand/wrist upper back waist hip/buttock and knee of workers in ， （ P ） the vibration tool group was higher than that in the control group and the differences were statistically significant all <0.05 .， The prevalence of WMSDs in different body parts of workers in the vibration tool group ranking from high to low was waist ， ， ， ， ， ， ， ， ， ， neck shoulder hand/wrist upper back knee ankle/foot elbow and hip/buttock with the rate of 74.3% 61.3% 54.2% ， ， ， ， ， （P ） Conclusions 54.0% 50.9% 39.4% 35.2% 31.0% and 27.1% respectively <0.01 . The use of vibration tools can ， ， ， ， ， increase the risk of WMSDs in shoulder elbow hand/wrist upper back waist hip/buttock and knee of automobile factory workers. Corresponding measures should be taken to reduce vibration intensity and reduce contact time to protect workers'

Effect of 6-Shogaol on invasion and migration of triple negative breast cancer cells via Hedgehog/Glil signaling pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the effects of the expression of the transcription faetor Glil of Hedgehog ( Hh ) signaling pathway and the 6-Shogaol mediated Hedge- hog/Glil pathway on the proliferation, invasion and migration in MDA-MB-231 eells of triple negative breast eaneer.Methods MDA-MB-231 eells were transfected by lentiviral vectors to stably overexpressed Glil gene.The overexpression efficiency of Glil was verified by qRT-PCR and Western blot.CCK-8 and EdlJ assays were used to detect the effect of Glil expression and 6-Shogaol on cell viability.Cell scratch assay and Transwell assay were used to detect the ability of migration and invasion.Western blot was used to detect the proteins expression of Hedgehog signaling pathway and other related genes.Results MDA-MB- 231-Glil overexpression cell line was successfully established.When Gli 1 gene was overexpressed, the invasion and migration ability of cells was significantly improved, anrl the expression of Hh signaling pathway gene Glil , EMT marker gene Vimentin, Hippo signaling pathway genes YAP and TEAD4 inereased.When the expression of Glil was inhibited by the Hh/Gli pathway inhibitor Gant61 , the proliferation, invasion and migration abilities were suppressed.When the eells were treated with 6-Shogaol, the abilities of proliferation, invasion and migration were inhibited as well as the proteins expression of Glil , Vimentin, YAP and TEAD4 deereased.Conclusions Glil gene ean promote the invasion and migration of MDA-MB-231 eells.6-Shogaol ean inhibit proliferation, invasion and migration of breast eaneer eells through Hedgehog signaling pathway, suggesting that transcription factor Glil may be one of the targets of 6-Shogaol.

Association of AXIN1 With Parkinson’s Disease in a Taiwanese Population

Objective@#A meta-analysis of locus-based genome-wide association studies recently identified a relationship between AXIN1 and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Few studies of Asian populations, however, have reported such a genetic association. The influences of rs13337493, rs758033, and rs2361988, three PD-associated genetic variants of AXIN1, were investigated in the present study because AXIN1 is related to Wnt/β-catenin signaling. @*Methods@#A total of 2,418 individuals were enrolled in our Taiwanese cohort for analysis of the genotypic and allelic frequency. Polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was employed for rs13337493 genotyping, and the Agena MassARRAY platform (Agena Bioscience, San Diego, CA, USA) was used for rs758033 and rs2361988 genotyping in 672 patients with PD and 392 controls. Taiwan Biobank data of another 1,354 healthy controls were subjected to whole-genome sequencing performed using Illumina platforms at approximately 30× average depth. @*Results@#Our results revealed that rs758033 {odds ratios [OR] (95% confidence interval [CI]) = 0.267 [0.064, 0.795], p = 0.014} was associated with the risk of PD, and there was a trend toward a protective effect of rs2361988 (OR [95% CI] = 0.296 [0.071, 0.884], p = 0.026) under the recessive model. The TT genotype of rs758033 (OR [95% CI] = 0.271 [0.065, 0.805], p = 0.015) and the CC genotype of rs2361988 (OR [95% CI] = 0.305 [0.073, 0.913], p = 0.031) were less common in the PD group than in the non-PD group. @*Conclusion@#Our findings indicate that the rs758033 and rs2361988 polymorphisms of AXIN1 may affect the risk of PD in the Taiwanese population.

Diagnosis and Clinical Features in Autoimmune-Mediated Movement Disorders

Movement disorders are common manifestations in autoimmune-mediated encephalitis. This group of diseases is suspected to be triggered by infection or neoplasm. Certain phenotypes correlate with specific autoantibody-related neurological disorders, such as orofacial-lingual dyskinesia with N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis and faciobrachial dystonic seizures with leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 encephalitis. Early diagnosis and treatment, especially for autoantibodies targeting neuronal surface antigens, can improve prognosis. In contrast, the presence of autoantibodies against intracellular neuronal agents warrants screening for underlying malignancy. However, early clinical diagnosis is challenging because these diseases can be misdiagnosed. In this article, we review the distinctive clinical phenotypes, magnetic resonance imaging findings, and current treatment options for autoimmune-mediated encephalitis.

Sleep-improving mechanism of Chaiqin Ningshen Granules in insomnia rats: based on hippocampal metabonomics / 中国中药杂志

With the ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadruple-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap-MS)-based metabonomics technology, this study aims to analyze the effect of Chaiqin Ningshen Granules(CNG) on endogenous metabolites in insomnia rats of liver depression syndrome and explore the sleep-improving mechanism of this prescription. Parachlorophenylalanine(PCPA, ip) and chronic stimulation were combined to induce insomnia of liver depression pattern in rats, and the effect of CNG on the macroscopic signs, hemorheology, and neurotransmitters in the hippocampus of insomnia rats of liver depression syndrome was observed. After the administration, rat hippocampus was collected for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) analysis of the metabolomics. Principal component analysis(PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were employed for analyzing the metabolites in rat hippocampus and screening potential biomarkers. MetPA was used to yield the related metabolic pathways and metabolic networks. The results show that the drugs can significantly improve the mental state, liver depression, and blood stasis of rats, significantly increase the content of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) and gamma aminobutyric acid(GABA) in hippocampus(except low-dose CNG), and significantly reduce the content of glucose(Glu)(except low-dose CNG). Among them, estazolam and high-dose CNG had better effect than others. Metabolomics analysis yielded 27 potential biomarkers related to insomnia. MetPA analysis showed 4 metabolic pathways of estazolam in intervening insomnia and 3 metabolic pathways of high-dose CNG in intervening insomnia, involving purine metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, histidine metabolism, and caffeine metabolism. CNG can alleviate insomnia by regulating endogenous differential metabolites and further related metabolic pathways. The result lays a basis for further elucidating the mechanism of CNG in improving sleep.

Baihe Dihuangtang Improves Hippocampal Neuron Damage in Anxious Depression Model Rats by Inhibiting NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the anti-anxious depression mechanism of Baihe Dihuangtang from the NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome. Method:Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group， venlafaxine group （13.5 mg·kg^-1）， Baihe Dihuangtang high and low dose group （16，4 g·kg^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. Chronic restraint stress for 28 days （6 h） combined with subcutaneous injection of corticosterone （30 mg·kg^-1） was used to establish induce an anxious depression model. From the 8th day of modeling， the rats in the normal group and the model group received distilled water， and those in groups with drug intervention were treated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 21 days. Elevated plus maze and open field test were used to evaluate the behavioral changes of rats. Enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect serum and hippocampal interleukin-1<italic>β</italic> （IL-1<italic>β</italic>）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and interleukin-18 （IL-18） levels. Western blot were used to detect the relative expression of hippocampal NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， and Caspase-1. The pathological changes of the hippocampus were observed by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， the average fluorescence intensity of NLRP3， ASC， and Caspase-1 was detected by immunofluorescence. The ultrastructure of neurons was observed under electron microscopy. Result:Compared with the normal group， the model group showed reduced total entries （TE）， the ratio of open-arm entries （OE%）， the ratio of open-arm times （OT%）， and the autonomous activity score （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， significant anxiety and depression-like behaviors， increased levels of IL-1<italic>β</italic>， IL-6， and IL-18 in the serum and hippocampus （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， elevated protein expression of NLRP3， ASC， and Caspase-1 （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， activated NLRP3 inflammasomes， and injured hippocampal neurons. Compared with the model group， the high-dose Baihe Dihuangtang group showed improved anxiety and depression-like behaviors （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and decreased levels of IL-1<italic>β</italic>， IL-6， and IL-18 in the serum and hippocampus （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， reduced protein expression of NLRP3， ASC， and Caspase-1 （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and alleviated hippocampal neuron damage. Conclusion:Baihe Dihuangtang can improve neuronal damage in anxious depression by inhibiting the excessive activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes.

High expression of ENA-78 in lymphatic epithelial cells associated with cholangiocarcinoma promotes lymphangiogenesis / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveLymphatic epithelial cells (LECs) are important links involved in lymphatic metastasis in the microenvironment of cholangiocarcinoma. This study aims to detect the modulation of inflammatory factors and chemokines secreted by LECs after stimulation of cholangiocarcinoma cells, and observe the effects of highly expressed factors on lymphangiogenesis.MethodsThe culture medium of cholangiocarcinoma (RBE, HCCC9810), LECs stimulated by cholangiocarcinoma cell culture medium (CCM), and normal LECs were prepared. Inflammatory factors and chemokines in the culture medium were detected using protein chip. The experiments are divided into the following groups, including a blank control group, CCM group, CCM coupled with Anti-ENA-78 group, Anti-ENA-78 group, ENA-78 group, ENA-78 coupled with SB2252002, and SB225002 group. The relationship between the content of factor and time was investigated using ELISA, while the relation between target factors and lymphangiogenesis obtained by cell proliferation and tubule formation assay.ResultsWe found ENA-78, IP-10, GCP-2, MCP-2, MCP-3, MIP-3a, HCC-1, and Lymphotactin expression increased in LECs supernatant after CCM stimulation. However, I-TAC, MIP-1d, IL-10, MIG, PDGF-BB, and CXCL16 factors showed down-regulation. The secretion of ENA-78 in CCM was relatively low. By ELISA, we found that the ENA-78 protein in RBE-LECs and HCCC9810-LECs gradually increased over time, and reached the plateau phase at the point of 48h. The lymphatic tube forming ability of LECs cultured in CCM was significantly increased compared with that of the control group, and this ability could be partially weakened by ENA-78 neutralizing antibodies. In the exogenous ENA-78 protein group, the lymphatic tube formation ability was as well significantly increased compared with that in the control group, and this ability could be effectively blocked by the IL-8B inhibitor.ConclusionThe increased secretion ENA-78 of lymphatic epithelial cells induced by cholangiocarcinoma may play a role in promoting lymphangiogenesis through the IL-8B receptor.

High expression of ENA-78 in lymphatic epithelial cells associated with cholangiocarcinoma promotes lymphangiogenesis / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveLymphatic epithelial cells (LECs) are important links involved in lymphatic metastasis in the microenvironment of cholangiocarcinoma. This study aims to detect the modulation of inflammatory factors and chemokines secreted by LECs after stimulation of cholangiocarcinoma cells, and observe the effects of highly expressed factors on lymphangiogenesis.MethodsThe culture medium of cholangiocarcinoma (RBE, HCCC9810), LECs stimulated by cholangiocarcinoma cell culture medium (CCM), and normal LECs were prepared. Inflammatory factors and chemokines in the culture medium were detected using protein chip. The experiments are divided into the following groups, including a blank control group, CCM group, CCM coupled with Anti-ENA-78 group, Anti-ENA-78 group, ENA-78 group, ENA-78 coupled with SB2252002, and SB225002 group. The relationship between the content of factor and time was investigated using ELISA, while the relation between target factors and lymphangiogenesis obtained by cell proliferation and tubule formation assay.ResultsWe found ENA-78, IP-10, GCP-2, MCP-2, MCP-3, MIP-3a, HCC-1, and Lymphotactin expression increased in LECs supernatant after CCM stimulation. However, I-TAC, MIP-1d, IL-10, MIG, PDGF-BB, and CXCL16 factors showed down-regulation. The secretion of ENA-78 in CCM was relatively low. By ELISA, we found that the ENA-78 protein in RBE-LECs and HCCC9810-LECs gradually increased over time, and reached the plateau phase at the point of 48h. The lymphatic tube forming ability of LECs cultured in CCM was significantly increased compared with that of the control group, and this ability could be partially weakened by ENA-78 neutralizing antibodies. In the exogenous ENA-78 protein group, the lymphatic tube formation ability was as well significantly increased compared with that in the control group, and this ability could be effectively blocked by the IL-8B inhibitor.ConclusionThe increased secretion ENA-78 of lymphatic epithelial cells induced by cholangiocarcinoma may play a role in promoting lymphangiogenesis through the IL-8B receptor.

The clinical effect of dexmedetomidine preoperative nasal drip assisted in patients with strabismus correction under local anesthesia / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of intranasal dexmedetomidine premedication on Sedation anxiety score, circulation index, drug dosage (atropine, sufentanil), and adverse reactions in patients undergoing strabismus surgery with local anesthesia. MethodsNinety patients undergoing strabismus surgery were enrolled and randomly divided into the dexmedetomidine group (n=45) and control group (n=45). 30min before the local anesthesia, dexmedetomidine was given intranasally with a dose of 2 μg/kg in the dexmedetomidine group, while the control group treated equal volume saline. The MAP and HR values before pre-dose (T0), 10 min (T1), 20 min (T2), and 30 min (T3) were recorded. The Ramsay score was calculated 30 minutes after administration. SAS scores were made 1 day before surgery and 1 day after surgery. Meanwhile, we measured the dosage of atropine, sufentanil, and the incidence of adverse reactions during surgery. ResultsThe HR and MAP of patients in the dexmedetomidine group were significantly lower than those in the control group at T2 and T3 (P<0.05). The SAS score of the dexmedetomidine group was significantly lower than that of the control group 1 day after the operation. There was no significant difference between the dexmedetomidine group and the control group in the dosage of atropine, the incidence of oculocardiac reflex (OCR), and respiratory depression. The dose of sufentanil in the dexmedetomidine group was lower than that of the control group. The incidence of nausea and vomiting in the control group was significantly higher than that of the dexmedetomidine group.Conclusion Dexmedetomidine (2 μg/kg) preoperative nasal drip has a good sedative effect without obvious adverse reactions and could be safely assisted in clinical anesthesia for patients undergoing local anesthesia correction surgery.

Anti-arthritic-related metal bioavailability for optimal compatibility ratio of Aconiti Radix Cocta and Paeoniae Radix Alba / 中国中药杂志

Trace metals deficiency or excess are associated with the etiology and pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Aconiti Radix Cocta(A) and Paeoniae Radix Alba(B) are commonly used together for the treatment of RA. In this study, we aim to determine anti-arthritic-related metal bioavailability in the compatibility of herb A and B for avoiding metal deficiency or excess, and optimize the combination ratio of herb A and B, accordingly. Anti-arthritic-related metal bioaccessibility were evaluated by in vitro simulator of all gastrointestinal tract(including mouth, stomach, small and large intestines), and the roles of gastrointestinal digestive enzymes and intestinal microflora were investigated. Anti-arthritic-related metal bioavailability was assessed by the affinity adsorption with liposomes. The results indicated that compatibility proportion of corresponding herbal plants, gastrointestinal digestion and microbial metabolic, which could affect metal digestion and absorption. The optimal compatibility proportion of 1 A∶1 B is recommended, according to the dose of anti-arthritic-related metal bioavailability, which is often chosen for clinical practice of RA therapy. Thus, anti-arthritic-related metal bioavailability might be the key active substances for RA treatment.

Novel SNP markers on ginsenosides biosynthesis functional gene for authentication of ginseng herbs and commercial products / 中国天然药物

Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius have similar bioactive components and morphological characteristics, but they are known to have different medicinal values, high-sensitive and accurate method is expected to identify the sources of ginseng products and evaluate the quality, but with a huge challenge. Our established UHPLC-TOF/MS method coupled with orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model based on 18 ginsenosides was applied to discriminate the sources of raw medicinal materials in ginseng products, and nested PCR strategy was used to discover 6 novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites in functional dammarenediol synthase (DS) gene for genetic authentication of P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius for the first time. OPLS-DA model could identify the sources of raw ginseng materials are real or not. SNP markers were applied to identify ginseng fresh samples as well as commercial products, and proved to be successful. This established molecular method can tell exact source information of adulterants, and it was highly sensitive and specific even when total DNA amount was only 0.1 ng and the adulteration was as low as 1%. Therefore, this study made an attempt at the exploration of new type SNP marker for variety authentication and function regulation at the same time, and the combination of chemical and molecular discrimination methods provided the comprehensive evaluation and authentication for the sources of ginseng herbs and products.

Research progress in molecular pharmacognosy of Pogostemon cablin / 中国中药杂志

Molecular pharmacognosy( MP) is a new interdisciplinary science,which integrates the pharmacognosy and molecular biology,and focuses on the crude drugs' classification and identification,cultivation and protection,and production of active ingredients at the molecular level. Pogostemon cablin is one of the ten major southern medicines in China,MP research on this famous herb has developed on the basis of traditional research methods,and achieved certain results. This article summarized the MP research achievements of P. cablin in recent years,the prospect of this field is also discussed to provide references for the protection,development and utilization of P. cablin resources.

Rapid identification of Dendrobium officinale using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) method / 中国天然药物

Dendrobium officinale is not only an ornamental plant, but also a valuable medicinal herb that is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, distinguishing D. officinale from other Dendrobium species is usually a difficult task. In this study, we developed a rapid identification protocol for D. officinale using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method. A set of primers were specifically designed to detect a modified internal transcribed spacer region of D. officinale at 65 °C within 40 min after adding SYBR Green I, which was used for the detection of D. officinale. Unlike commonly used adulterants, reaction mixtures containing D. officinale DNA changed from orange to green, and this color change was easily observed with the naked eye. Thus, this methodology can be used to accurately differentiate D. officinale from other Dendrobium species, is quick as all D. officinale samples were amplified within 40 min, and specific as samples of the adulterants were not amplified. The specificity of this LAMP-based method was confirmed by testing 17 samples of D. officinale and 32 adulterant samples from other Dendrobium species. This LAMP-based rapid identification method does not require expensive equipment or specialized techniques and can be used in field surveys for accurate and fast on-site identification.

Inductive effect of solamargine on the apoptosis of human esophageal cancer KYSE150 cells and its action mechanism / 医学研究生学报

Objective Solamargine (SM), with its anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects, inhibits the proliferation and promotes the apoptosis of various tumor cells. This study was to investigate the effects of SM on the proliferation and apoptosis of human esophageal cancer KYSE150 cells and its action mechanism. Methods We treated KYSE150 cells with SM at the concentrations of 0 (the blank control group), 2, 4, 6 and 8 μmol/L for 24 hours. Then, we observed the morphological changes of the cells under the inverted microscope, detected their proliferation and apoptosis by MTT assay and flow cytometry respectively, and determined the expressions of the classical NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins NF-κB, p-NF-κB, IKKα, IKKβ, IkBα and p-IkBα) and apoptosis-related proteins Bax, caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3 and Bcl-2 in different groups of the cells by Western blot. Results Compared with the blank control, the inhibition rate of the proliferation of the KYSE150 cells in the 2, 4, 6 and 8 μmol/L SM groups was increased significantly in a concentration-dependent manner (0 vs [15.03 ± 0.15]%, [47.94 ± 1.74]%, [68.72 ± 0.47]% and [77.51 ± 1.70]%, P<0.05), and so was the apoptosis rate ([8.17 ± 0.51]% vs [14.50 ± 0.73]%, [18.57 ± 2.08]%, [65.10 ± 10.88]% and [81.55 ± 5.48]%, P<0.05). The expression of the apoptosis-related protein Bax in the SM treated cells was up-regulated, those of Bcl-2, IKKα, IKKβ and p-IkBα down-regulated, and the activity of caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 promoted, all in a concentration-dependent manner, with statistically significant differences between the blank control and the 4, 6 and 8 μmol/L SM groups (P<0.05). Statistically significant differences were also found in the expressions of NF-κB, p-NF-κB and IkBα between the blank control and the 6 and 8 μmol/L SM groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Solamargine can significantly inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of KYSE150 cells, probably by suppressing the classical NF-κB signaling pathway.

PCL/β-TCP Composite Scaffolds Exhibit Positive Osteogenic Differentiation with Mechanical Stimulation

We investigated the use of Polycaprolactone (PCL)/β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) composites with applied mechanical stimulation as scaffold for bone tissue engineering. PCL-based three-dimensional (3D) structures were fabricated in a solvent-free process using a 3D-printing technique. The mass fraction of β-TCP was varied in the range 0–30%, and the structure and compressive modulus of the specimens was characterized. The shape and interconnectivity of the pores was found to be satisfactory, and the compressive modulus of the specimens was comparable with that of human trabecular bone. Human mesenchymal stem cells were seeded on the composites, and various biological evaluations were performed over 9 days. With a mass fraction of β-TCP of 30%, differentiation began earlier; however, the cell proliferation rate was lower. Through the use of mechanical stimulation, however, the proliferation rate recovered, and was comparable with that of the other groups. This stimulation effect was also observed in ECM generation and other biological assays. With mechanical stimulation, expression of osteogenic markers was lower on samples with a β-TCP content of 10 wt% than without β-TCP; however, with mechanical stimulation, the sample with a β-TCP content of 30 wt% exhibited significantly greater expression of those markers than the other samples. We found that mechanical stimulation and the addition of β-TCP interacted closely, and that a mass fraction of β-TCP of 30% was particularly useful as a bone tissue scaffold when accompanied by mechanical stimulation.

Isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology and its application in molecular identification of Chinese materia medica / 中草药

Accurate identification of varieties is the most important part of quality control of Chinese materia medica (CMM). To find an efficient, convenient, and accurate identification method is the development trend of identification technology of CMM. Compared with the traditional identification method based on phenotypic markers, DNA molecular marker technology is more accurate and reliable, suitable for the identification of closely related species and sample with confusion and multiple sources, but unable to realize the rapid identification due to the limits of the PCR technology, such as high cost, complex procedures, and the drawback of long time. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel nucleic acid amplification technology, with the advantages of high specificity, high sensitivity, simple, rapid, low cost, etc., become another new technology after PCR to realize the rapid molecular identification of CMM successfully. In this paper, the common isothermal amplification of nucleic acid technology and its application in the study of molecular identification of Chinese herbal medicines were reviewed analysis, to provide a reference for the study of rapid molecular identification system of Chinese herbal medicines.

Status quo, problems and development trends of scientific literature novelty assessment stations in colleges and universities / 中华医学图书情报杂志

The data of 102 scientific literature novelty assessment stations in colleges and universities were collected by e-mail, telephone and Website.The distribution of districts, load of literature novelty assessment, construction of literature novelty assessment teams, development of literature resources, feedback systems for literature novelty assessment, related problems and development trend were analyzed using Excel and SPSS 18.0 with suggestions proposed for perfecting the scientific literature novelty assessment.