A new seco-prezizaane-type sesquiterpene lactone from stems and branches of Illicium ternstroemioides / 中国中药杂志

Three seco-prezizaane-type sesquiterpene lactones, one phenylpropanoid, and two lignans were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of stems and branches of Illicium ternstroemioides with silica gel column chromatography, ODS column chromatography, and preparative HPLC. Based on the spectral data, they were identified as burmanicumolide D(1), veranisatin A(2), veranisatin B(3), dihydroconiferylalcohol(4), pinoresinol(5),(-)-matairesinol(6), respectively. Among them, compound 1 was a new seco-prezizaane-type sesquiterpene lactone, and 2-6 were obtained from this plant for the first time. None of these compounds display antiviral or cytotoxic activities.

Correlation analysis between short-term insulin-like growth factor-I and glucose intolerance status after transsphenoidal adenomectomy in acromegalic patients: a large retrospective study from a single center in China

ABSTRACT Objectives: Our study aimed to investigate the associations of glucose tolerance status with insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and other clinical laboratory parameters of acromegalic patients before and after the patients underwent transsphenoidal adenomectomy (TSA) by conducting a single-center, retrospective study. Subjects and methods: A total of 218 patients with acromegaly who had undergone TSA as the first treatment were retrospectively analyzed. Serum IGF-I, growth hormone (GH) and glucose levels were measured before and after surgery. Results: The follow-up levels for random GH, GH nadir, and the percentage of the upper limit of normal IGF-I (%ULN IGF-I) were decreased significantly. The percentages of normal (39.0%), early carbohydrate metabolism disorders (33.0%) and diabetes mellitus (28.0%) changed to 70.2%, 16.5% and 13.3%, respectively, after TSA. %ULN IGF-I at baseline was higher in the diabetes mellitus (DM) group than in the normal glucose tolerance group and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) /impaired fasting glucose (IFG) groups before TSA, and the DM group exhibited a greater reduction in %ULN IGF-I value after surgery. The follow-up %ULN IGF-I value after surgery was significantly lower in the improved group, and Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that the reductions in %ULN IGF-I corresponded with the reductions in glucose level. Conclusion: This study examined the largest reported sample with complete preoperative and follow-up data. The results suggest that the age- and sex-adjusted IGF-I level, which reflects altered glucose metabolism, and the change of it are associated with improved glucose tolerance in acromegalic patients both before and after TSA.

Investigation on seco-prezizaane sesquiterpenes from fruits of Illicium lanceolatum and their neuroprotection activity / 中国中药杂志

Ten seco-prezizaane sesquiterpenes were isolated from the water-soluble fraction of the fruit of Illicium lanceolatum using the combined methods of silica gel column chromatography,Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography,and RP-preparative HPLC. They were elucidated as majusanol E( 1),2α-hydroxycycloparviflorolide( 2),2β-hydroxy-3,6-dedioxypseudoanisatin( 3),majusanol A( 4),merrillianone( 5),cycloparvifloralone( 6),3α-hydroxycycloparvifloralone( 7),1,2-dehydrocycloparvifloralone( 8),henrylactone C( 9),and( 11) 7,14-ortholactone-3α-hydroxyfloridanolide( 10) according to the NMR data. All compounds were obtained from this plant for the first time. Neuroprotection activity,anti-Coxsackie B3 virus,and anti-H3 N2 virus experiments were carried out to test their bioactivities. The bioassay results showed that compounds 1,4,6,7,9 and 10 displayed weak protective effects of the damage of nerve SH-SY5 Y cell induced by monosodium glutamate.

Advances in pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas / 中国医学科学院学报

Along with the rapid development of molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, and immunology, there is a new understanding on the pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas. The pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas is considered to be related with gene mutation, growth factors, cell receptors, transcription factors, and cellular signaling pathways.

KCTD9, a novel potassium channel related gene, was highly expressed in hepatic NK cells and T cells of fulminant hepatitis mice induced by MHV-3 / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanisms of a novel potassium channel gene named KCTD9 (potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 9) in model of fulminant viral hepatitis induced by murine hepatitis virus 3 (MHV-3).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>78 BALB/cJ mice(6 male) were randomly and equally assigned to two groups, model group of fulminant viral hepatitis induced by MHV3 and its control. 75 C3H/HeJ female mice were done into two groups, 39 for model group of chronic hepatitis induced by MHV3, 36 for control. Various samples including spleen, liver and lymphocytes from mice of two model groups and the controls were examined for KCTD9 expression by real time quantitative PCR and Immunohistochemistry. Independent-samples T test or one-way ANOVA were carried out in different groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Increased expressions of KCTD9 mRNA was observed in livers of both model mice of fulminant viral hepatitis and chronic hepatitis. Compared with the control mice, the expressions of KCTD9 mRNA were up-regulated by 577.1-, 8.8-, 59.4- and 10.8-fold in hepatic NK cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and splenic NK cells respectively in model mice of fulminant viral hepatitis 48 hr post MHV-3 infection, whereas down-regulation by 43% and 69% in splenic CD4 + T cells and CD8+ T cells were found respectively. In contrast, in model mice of chronic viral hepatitis the expressions of KCTD9 mRNA were down-regulated by 71% and 51% in hepatic CD4+ T cells and NK cells, respectively. The expression of KCTD9 protein was mainly evidenced in infiltrative mononuclear cells of liver as shown by immunohistochemistry. Basal expression was also investigated and showed constitutive expression of KCTD9 in brain, thymus and other organs in BALB/cJ mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A novel potassium channel gene KCTD9 was highly expressed in hepatic NK cells and T cells of fulminant hepatitis mice induced by MHV-3.</p>

Clinical and gene mutation analyses of three patients with ornithine carbamoyltransferase deficiency / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of three children with ornithine carbamoyltransferase deficiency(OTCD), and to provide a practical method for gene diagnosis and genetic counseling of the disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All exons of the ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OTC) gene were screened by polymerase chain reaction-DNA direct sequencing in the three OTCD patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>One patient firstly presented as vomiting at 6 month of age. A missense mutation of T262I was detected. His mother had the same mutation without any clinical symptoms. The second patient presented as restlessness, and had a missense mutation of R277W. Gene analysis of his parents was not available. The third patient presented as neonatal lethargy, harbored a missense mutation of I172M. His mother had the same mutation without any clinical symptoms.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Gene mutation analysis is a feasible way for diagnosing OTCD. Patients with I172M mutation present symptom early, while those with T262I and R277W mutations manifest symptoms later. Gene mutation analysis will be important for asymptomatic and prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling.</p>

Gene polymorphism of vascular endothelial growth factor in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the relationship of -634G/C gene polymorphism of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred ethnic Han children with HSP, including 50 children with concurrent nephritis (HSPN group) and 50 children without nephritis (HSP without nephritis group), were enrolled. Fifty age-, sex-and ethnics-matched healthy children were used as the control group. VEGF-634G/C genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP. Plasma VEGF levels were measured using ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CC genotype distribution (32%) and C allele frequency (56%) in the HSPN group were significantly higher than those in the control group (10% and 35% respectively) and the HSP without nephritis group (10% and 33% respectively) (P<0.01). The incidence of nephritis in HSP patients with CC genotype increased significantly when compared with those with GG genotype (76% vs 31%; P<0.01). Plasma VEGF levels in patients with CC genotype (180.5+/- 40.7 pg/mL) were significantly higher than those in patients with CG (145.2+/- 48.3 pg/mL) and GG (101.5+/- 26.5 pg/mL) genotypes (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>VEGF-634G/C gene polymorphism may be associated with the development of HSPN. C allele may a susceptible gene of HSPN.</p>

Investigation on the running condition of defluoridation projects in Anyang City of Henan Province in 2006 / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To investigate the running condition of defluoridation projects and fluoride concentration in drinking-water in Anyang City of Henan Province.Methods Cluster sampfing of Anyang,Hua, Neihuang,Tangyin Counties emdimic fluomsis poining of Anyang City was conducted places of different orientation, about 1/3 towns in the selected examination towns had their defluoridation project investigated.Results Among 472 pwjects investigated,427 were running normally,accounting for 90.47%(427/472),only 9.53%(45/472)of the projects were out of service.68.62%(293/427)of the pwjects had normal fluoride concentration in drinking water, 31.38%(134/427)of the projects failed to do 80.In Hua County,41.00%(41/100)of the projects were out of service. In Neihuang County.70.39%(107/152)of the projects had abnormally high fluoride concentration in drinking water. Conclusions Defluoriding projects are out of service and fluoride concentration in drinking water exceeds the standard in Hua,Neihuang Counties of Anyang City.We must analyse the cause of it seriously,work out measures, promote a healthy and sustainable development of defluondation projects

Increased expression of KCTD9, a novel potassium channel related gene, correlates with disease severity in patients with viral hepatitis B / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Studies have shown that potassium channel plays a pivotal role in T cell activation. The expression of potassium channel gene KCTD9 was evidenced being highly upregulated in patients with severe hepatitis B (SHB). To understand this phenomenon further, tissue and cellular expression profiles of KCTD9 were investigated in patients with SHB.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A rabbit peptide polyclonal antibody was prepared. Various samples including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs); livers from patients with SHB or mild chronic hepatitis B, were examined for KCTD9 expression by quantitative real time PCR and immunohistochemistry staining (IHC). Confocal microscopy was used to illustrate the localizations of the expressions.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Increased expression of KCTD9 was observed in PBMC in over 35.7% of the patients with SHB when compared with that of patients with mild chronic hepatitis B. In all patients, the relative value of increased KCTD9 mRNA was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin but negatively with serum albumin. The expression was mainly located in hepatocytes, bile duct epithelial cells, Kupffer cells and inflammatory cells, and in the cytoplasm of PBMCs from the healthy individuals and patients with mild chronic hepatitis B, whereas in both cytoplasm and nuclei in those from patients with SHB.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The increased expression of potassium channel gene KCTD9 correlates with disease severity in patients with viral hepatitis B.</p>

Construction of a trans-splicing ribozyme for restoring EGFP truncation mutation / 生物工程学报

Special designed group I intron ribozymes can specifically splice objective RNA, repair the mutant gene in RNA level. The specificity of ribozyme is determined by nucleotides specific internal guide sequence (IGS) introduced to the enzyme. In this study, fragment sequence containing Tetrahymena thermophilia intron I of 26S rRNA gene was cloned and cis-splicing activity of this ribozyme was confirmed by in vitro transcription. For evaluating the trans-splicing activity of this ribozyme, a truncated mutant Green Fluorescence Protein (GFP) vector, XYQ5/XYQ10- pEGFP-C2, was constructed. This vector deleted the 3' end 564bp fragment of EGFP coding sequence, led to the lost the activity of emitting green fluorescence. Trans-splicing ribozyme plasmids ptrans-rib-CMV2 for remedy of the truncated mutant EGFP was constructed by PCR and molecular cloning techniques. This vector utilizing cloned 26S rRNA intron 1 as core enzyme; selecting T-G site at 194bp of EGFP coding sequence as splicing receptor, designed an IGS which is inversely complement to the 188-193nt of EGFP mRNA; the 195-890bp fragment of EGFP coding sequence was ligated to the 3'-end of ribozyme core. The fragment containing these components was inserted to a eukayotic expression vector pRC-CMV2. Using linearized XYQ5/XYQ10- pEGFP-C2 and ptrans-rib-CMV2 as templates, truncated EGFP mRNA and the constructed ribozyme vector were transcribed and mixed to evaluate the trans-splicing activity. Analysis of in vitro transcription products mix by RT-PCR verified the existence of wild type EGFP mRNA molecule. Co-transfection of XYQ5/XYQ10- pEGFP-C2 with ptrans-rib-CMV2 to Hela cells proved this ribozyme restored green fluorescence within cell, but the efficiency was low.