Intestinal lactic acid bacteria from Muscovy duck as potential probiotics that alter adhesion factor gene expression.

The purpose of this study was to assess the suitability of lactic acid bacteria (LABs) isolated from Muscovy duck as a potential probiotic. Isolates were identified by targeted polymerase chain reaction and assessed in vitro for probiotic characteristics such as autoaggregation; surface-charge; hydrophobicity; tolerance to acidic pH, bile salts and protease; and expression of genes involved in Caco-2 cell adhesion. The LAB isolates exhibited strong resistance to high bile concentration and acidic pH, produced lactic acid, and bacteriostatic (P < 0.05) were identified as bacilli compared with LAB isolates of cocci. Additionally, the LAB isolates showed high sensitivity to penicillin and tetracycline antibiotics, while they were resistant to ofloxacin, Macrodantin, and cotrimoxazole. The level of F-actin mRNA increased in the groups treated with CM3, Salmonella enterica, and CM3 + S. enterica (P < 0.0001, P < 0.05 and P < 0.05 ). The level of cell adhesion molecule (CAM) and E-cadherin (E-cad) mRNA expression was significantly lower in the treatment group (P < 0.05 for both) than in the control. The F-actin, CAM, and E-cad mRNA levels were significantly lower in the S. enterica and CM3 + S. enterica groups (P < 0.01) than in the CM3 group. Among these, RNA levels were higher in the CM3 + S. enterica than S. enterica group. These results indicate that the natural duck gut microflora is an excellent source for probiotic bacteria and can facilitate the establishment of criteria to select probiotic strains for the prevention of diarrhea.

Analysis of Fcgrt gene polymorphism in indigenous Chinese sheep and its association with colostrum IgG concentration.

The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) plays an important role in regulating IgG homeostasis in the body and passive protection to the offspring. Changes in FcRn expression levels caused by genetic polymorphisms of Fcgrt, which encodes FcRn, may lead to inter-individual differences in colostrum IgG levels in sheep. In this study, we sequenced the FcRn partial heavy chain from 179 sheep from Xinjiang Province, China, and detected the differences in colostrum IgG levels and Fcgrt genotypes to identify the correlation between the Fcgrt genotype and colostrum IgG levels in 4 sheep breeds. The DNA sequencing of a 680-bp fragment of the Fcgrt gene revealed various patterns depending on the single-strand conformation in the Suffolk breed. Sequencing analysis revealed a total of 3 patterns, AA, BB, AB, in this fragment, among which the absence of AB and BB genotype acted as a marker for breed identification and characterization, while the AA genotype was shared by Suffolk and 3 other breeds. The only allele found in all 4 breeds was allele A, indicating that natural selection may be favoring the AB and BB genotypes in general and B allele in particular, as the colostrum IgG concentration was relatively higher in the Suffolk breed compared to the other 3 breeds.

Novel mutations in Myoclonin1/EFHC1 in sporadic and familial juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) accounts for 3 to 12% of all epilepsies. In 2004, the GENESS Consortium demonstrated four missense mutations in Myoclonin1/EFHC1 of chromosome 6p12.1 segregating in 20% of Hispanic families with JME. OBJECTIVE: To examine what percentage of consecutive JME clinic cases have mutations in Myoclonin1/EFHC1. METHODS: We screened 44 consecutive patients from Mexico and Honduras and 67 patients from Japan using heteroduplex analysis and direct sequencing. RESULTS: We found five novel mutations in transcripts A and B of Myoclonin1/EFHC1. Two novel heterozygous missense mutations (c.755C>A and c.1523C>G) in transcript A occurred in both a singleton from Mexico and another singleton from Japan. A deletion/frameshift (C.789del.AV264fsx280) in transcript B was present in a mother and daughter from Mexico. A nonsense mutation (c.829C>T) in transcript B segregated in four clinically and seven epileptiform-EEG affected members of a large Honduran family. The same nonsense mutation (c.829C>T) occurred as a de novo mutation in a sporadic case. Finally, we found a three-base deletion (-364--362del.GAT) in the promoter region in a family from Japan. CONCLUSION: Nine percent of consecutive juvenile myoclonic epilepsy cases from Mexico and Honduras clinics and 3% of clinic patients from Japan carry mutations in Myoclonin1/EFCH1. These results represent the highest number and percentage of mutations found for a juvenile myoclonic epilepsy causing gene of any population group.

[Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in chromosome 6p12: clinical and genetic advances]. / Epilepsia mioclónica juvenil del cromosoma 6p12: avances clínicos y genéticos.

Amongst idiopathic generalized epilepsies, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is the most common, accounting for 12% to 30% of all epilepsies in the Western world. Classic JME consists of awakening myoclonias, grand mal convulsions and EEG 4 to 6 Hz polyspike waves that appear in adolescence. Probands and affected family members do not have pyknoleptic 3Hz spike and wave absences. However, in 10 to 30% of patients, rare or spanioleptic polyspike wave absences appear. In 1988,1995,1996,we mapped classic JME to a 7 cM locus in chromosome 6p12 11, called EJM1, using families from Los Angeles and Belize. In 2001,we studied one large family from Belize and 21 new families from Los Angeles and Mexico Cities, aided by a BAC/PAC based physical map and 6 new dinucleotide repeats, to narrow EJM1 to an interval between D6S272 and D6S1573. In 2002, we found myoclonin, the putative gene for typical JME in 6p12. At the congress, we will reveal the identity of the myoclonin gene, its putative function and discuss the significance of this discovery in the JME population at large.

Traditional Chinese materia medica--a retrospect and prospect.

For thousands of years, traditional medicine and remedies have been practiced and used in the fight against disease in China. They have proved to be valuable and the distillate of vast historical experience based on field-tested human experiments, long-term observations and clinical trials. The Chinese people believe that traditional medicine is consistent with their own culture. Endowed with a unique theoretical system and provided outstanding clinical results, traditional Chinese medicine continues to play an important role in helping the Chinese nation flourish.