Safety Evaluation of Jiaotaiwan Based on Zebrafish Model / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To take zebrafish embryo as the research object, in order to investigate the development toxicity, cardiotoxicity, liver toxicity and kidney toxicity of water extract of Jiaotaiwan (JTW) on zebrafish embryo. Method:Zebrafish embryos with normal development at 12 h (hpf) after fertilization were selected as model animals for the growth and cardiotoxicity experiments. The embryos were treated with 125, 250, 500 mg·L-1 of JTW water extracts, and the effects of the drugs on the heart rate and morphology of the embryos and LD50 were observed at 72 h (hpf) after fertilization. Zebrafish embryos with normal development at 72 h (hpf) after fertilization were used as model animals for the liver and kidney toxicity experiments. The embryos were treated with 125，250，500 mg·L-1 of JTW water extracts, and the effect of the drugs on morphological changes, Alanine aminotransferase(ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity, and creatinine content of the larvae and LD50 were observed at 72 d (dpf) after fertilization. Result:The zebrafish embryos in control group developed normally, the heart was well developed, and the heartbeat was even and powerful. The LD50 of JTW water extract on zebrafish embryos for 72 h was 1 023 mg·L-1. Compared with the embryos in the control group, 250，500 mg·L-1 treatment groups in the development toxicity had a smaller head, shorter body lengths (P<0.05), and decreased eye size (P<0.05). Compared with the control group embryos, the pericardial edema was observed in the 500 mg·L-1 group, the heart rate was significantly decreased in the 250，500 mg·L-1 JTW water extract groups (P<0.01), the atrial and ventricular areas were significantly reduced (P<0.05), the distance of SV-BA became significantly larger (P<0.05), the distance of AV channel became significantly larger (P<0.01), and the in-flow distance was significantly shorter (P<0.01). In the acute toxicity experiment, the LD50 of JTW water extract for zebrafish larvae for 72 h was 1 067 mg·L-1. Compared with control group, JTW water extract significantly reduced ALT activity in zebrafish larvae (P<0.05). Conclusion:This experiment found that JTW has an obvious toxicity in embryonic development, which is mainly manifested as delayed growth and severe cardiotoxicity. Great attention shall be paid to clinical administration to pregnant women, lactating women and patients with heart disease.

Association mapping of schizophrenia loci on chromosome 1 by use of pooled DNA genomic screening in eastern Shandong peninsula / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To find out association mapping of loci related to schizophrenia on chromosome 1 with microsatellite markers in DNA pooling samples from schizophrenic cases and normal controls in Shandong peninsula.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 31 microsatellite markers on chromosome 1 spaced at approximately 10 cM were scanned to two separated DNA pooling samples consisting of 119 schizophrenic cases and 119 normal controls respectively. Statistic analysis was performed by Chi-square test method to compare the difference between the ratio of each allele between the two pooling samples.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant statistic difference was found at D1S2878 between cases and controls, and P< 0.01 at this loci.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>D1S2878 locus on chromosome 1 associates with schizophrenia in Shandong peninsula. Fine mapping and searching for candidate genes are warranted in this region.</p>

Genetic effects on physical growth items of child twins in Han nationality / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyse the heritabilities of physical growth items of body and its related factors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>An 116 twin pairs of Han nationality, 67 monozygotic (MZ) and 49 like-sex dizygotic (DZ) aged 6 to 12 years, were investigated from June to October in 2004. The measurements included height, weight, sitting height, chest circumference, biacromial breadth and biiliac breadth, and BMI index calculated by the former two measurements. The heritabilities were estimated by using intraclass correlation coefficient method from the adjusted data for age.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The intraclass correlation coefficient was greater in the MZ twins than in the DZ twins. The estimated heritabilities of height, weight, BMI, sitting height, chest circumference, biacromial breadth and biiliac breadth were 0.89, 0.88, 0.73, 0.87, 0.78, 0.78, 0.73 in boys and 0.87, 0.74, 0.72, 0.86, 0.62, 0.56, 0.59 in girls adjusted for age. Therefore, there were no sex difference for the heritabilities of height, sitting height and BMI, but the male heritabilities of weight, chest circumference, biacromial breadth and biiliac breadth were higher than the female's respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Physical growth items should be mainly determined by the genetic factors. There are sex differences for the heritabilities of weight, chest circumference, biacromial breadth and biiliac breadth, i.e., the girls might be affected more easily by environmental factors than the boys in these items.</p>