Association between parental MTHFR gene polymorphism 677C/T and nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate in offspring / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the association between parental genetic polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C/T and occurrence of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) in offspring in Shandong Province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MTHFR genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Parents of 89 NSCL/P patients treated at Qilu Hospital from August, 2006 to August, 2008 and those of 64 healthy children were recruited in this case-control study.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Frequencies of T and C alleles in mothers of patients and healthy children were 65.73% and 46.09%, and 34.27% and 53.91%, respectively (Chi-square=13.663, P<0.01). Offspring whose mothers had T alleles were 2.243 times more likely to develop NSCL/P (95%CI: 1.408-3.572). Frequencies of T and C alleles in fathers of patients and healthy children were 62.92% and 55.47%, and 37.08% and 44.53%, respectively (Chi-square=2.222, P>0.05). The chance for parents of the patient and control groups to bear an affected fetus carrying homozygous mutations were 43% and 29%, respectively (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In Shandong Province, maternal genotype for the MTHFR 677C/T polymorphism has a significant impact on the occurrence of NSCL/P in their offspring, whilst paternal genotype for this polymorphism may not be a risk factor for NSCL/P in their offspring.</p>

Comparative study on chemcial composition between cultivated and wild Scutellariae radix / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To do some comparative study on chemical composition between the cultivated and wild samples of Radix Scutellariae.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Thirty three samples of Radix Scutellariae were collected from different habitats. An HPLC method for fingerprint identification and simultaneous determination of baicalin, baicalein and wogonin was established, and the content of ethanolic extractive was measured according to the method in Chinese Pharmacopoeia.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The number of chromatographic peaks in fingerprint of wild sample was more than that of cultivated sample in Hebei and Inner Mongolia. In 95% confidence intervals, the contents of baicalin, baicalein and wogonin were (15.89 +/- 1.52)%, (1.04 +/- 0.26)% and (0.27 +/- 0.07)%, respectively in the cultivated samples and (11.93 +/- 1.62)%, (1.03 +/- 0.26)% and (0.27 +/- 0.06)%, respectively in wild samples. The content of ethanolic extractive was 52.07 +/- 3.05% in the cultivated and (41.21 +/- 2.86)% in the wild within 95% confidence interval.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Slight difference between the fingerprint of the cultivated and wild samples was found, and the contents of baicalin and ethanolic extraction in the cultivated were higher than those in the wild.</p>