Relationship between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular risk factors among outdoor male traffic policemen / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To comprehend the prevalence status of elevated serum uric acid(SUA) and investigate the relationship between elevated SUA and cardiovascular risk factors and the clustering of the cardiovascular risk factors among outdoor male traffic policemen. METHODS: Selected by convenience sampling,1 039 outdoor traffic policemen in Guangzhou were asked to complete a questionnaire survey,physical and laboratory examination. According to the level of SUA > 420. 00 μmol/L or not,they were divided into elevated SUA group and control group. RESULTS: The median SUA level of outdoor male traffic policemen was 431. 00 μmol/L,and the elevated SUA prevalence was 56. 3%. The length of working years,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,and levels of serum triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and serum creatinine(Scr) in the elevated SUA group were statistically higher than the control group(P < 0. 01). The high density lipoprotein cholesterol level was lower in the control group than that in the elevated SUA group(P < 0. 01). After adjusting for age and alcohol consumption,the results of multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that outdoor traffic policemen who suffer from overweight or obesity,elevated TG and elevated TC have more risk in suffering from elevated SUA(P < 0. 05). The odds ratios(ORs) and 95%confidence intervals(CIs) were 2. 347(1. 772-3. 109),2. 040(1. 517-2. 743) and 1. 431(1. 080-1. 896) respectively.The risk factors of suffering from elevated SUA increased along with the increase of outdoor working years or Scr level(P <0. 05). The ORs and 95% CIs were 1. 028(1. 004-1. 054) and 1. 048(1. 033-1. 062) respectively. The proportion of people with elevated SUA among outdoor traffic policemen increased with the increase of cardiovascular risk factors(P <0. 01). The risk of elevated SUA among outdoor male traffic policemen who have 1,2,3,4 and ≥5 cardiovascular risk factors were 1. 583,2. 351,4. 657,2. 865 and 13. 576 times higher than those without cardiovascular risk factor respectively(P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: Among outdoor male traffic policemen,elevated SUA are closely associated with the cardiovascular risk factors. The risk factors of suffering from elevated SUA increased with clustering of cardiovascular risk factors.

Relationship Between Clinical and Immunological Features with Magnetic Resonance Imaging Abnormalities in Female Patients with Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred neuroimaging method in the evaluation of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE). The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between clinical and immunological features with MRI abnormalities in female patients with NPSLE, to screen for the value of conventional MRI in NPSLE.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 59 female NPSLE patients with conventional MRI examinations were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients were classified into different groups according to MRI abnormalities. Both clinical and immunological features were compared between MRI abnormal and normal groups. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) score for MRI abnormalities. Multivariate logistic regression analysis investigated the correlation between immunological features, neuropsychiatric manifestations, and MRI abnormalities.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thirty-six NPSLE patients (61%) showed a variety of MRI abnormalities. There were statistically significant differences in SLEDAI scores (P < 0.001), incidence of neurologic disorders (P = 0.001), levels of 24-h proteinuria (P = 0.001) and immunoglobulin M (P = 0.004), and incidence of acute confusional state (P = 0.002), cerebrovascular disease (P = 0.004), and seizure disorder (P = 0.028) between MRI abnormal and normal groups. In the MRI abnormal group, SLEDAI scores for cerebral atrophy (CA), cortex involvement, and restricted diffusion (RD) were much higher than in the MRI normal group (P < 0.001, P = 0.002, P = 0.038, respectively). Statistically significant positive correlations between seizure disorder and cortex involvement (odds ratio [OR] = 14.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50-151.70; P = 0.023) and cerebrovascular disease and infratentorial involvement (OR = 10.00; 95% CI, 1.70-60.00; P = 0.012) were found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>MRI abnormalities in NPSLE, especially CA, cortex involvement, and RD might be markers of high systemic lupus erythematosus activity. Some MRI abnormalities might correspond to neuropsychiatric manifestations and might be helpful in understanding the pathophysiology of NPSLE.</p>

Enhanced erythromycin production in Saccharopolyspora erythraea by tandem expres-sion of metK, vhbS and adpA / 军事医学

Objective To construct erythromycin-overproducing mutants by tandemly expressing S-adenosylmethionine synthetase gene metK, Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene vhbS and pleiotropic regulatory gene adpA in Saccharopolyspora eryth-raea.Methods Through PEG-mediated protoplast transformation , the integrative plasmid carrying metK, vhbS and adpA was respectively introduced into erythromycin-producing wild-type strain S.erythraea A226 and industrial strain WB .The engineered strains were generated by apramycin resistance screening and PCR identification .The erythromycin production was compared in original strains and their mutants by the inhibition test of Bacillus subtilis and HPLC analysis .Results and Conclusion Four A226-derived mutants A226-P1-P4 and three WB-derived mutants WB-P1-P3 were independently obtained.Compared with wild-type strain A226, the relative erythromycin titer of the four engineered strains A 226-P1-P4 was increased from 8%to 25%by scoring the growth-inhibition zones .Further HPLC analysis showed that the four mutants had increased erythromycin A yield by 64%-94%.Likewise, the relative erythromycin titer and erythromycin A yield of the three engineered strains WB-P1-P3 were enhanced by 6%-10%and 31%-62%, respectively, in comparison with the original strain WB.The results show the universality of enhancing erythromycin productionvia tandem expression of metK, vhbS and adpA in S.erythraea.

[Construction of GSK-3beta-targeting RNAi adenovirus vector and the influence of Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in proliferation of human thyrocytes].

OBJECTIVE: To construct RNAi recombinant adenoviral expressive vectors specific to glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) and to observe its gene knockdown effect on the expression of GSK-3beta, and to explore the effect of Wnt/beta-catenin pathway on the proliferation of human thyrocytes using the RNAi adenovirus vector. METHODS: An adenovirus plasmid that contained the RNAi cassette targeting the GSK-3beta gene was constructed by homologous recombination and cloning techniques, transfected into human embryo kidney (HEK) 293A cells to product adenovirus, and then was used to infect the HEK293A cells to amplify the adenoviral stock. Plaque forming assay was used to titer the adenoviral stock. Normal human thyrocytes fart from thyroid adenoma were obtained during resection of adenoma, cultured, and infected by the GSK-3beta specific RNAi adenovirus. The GSK-3beta gene silencing effect induced by the RNAi adenovirus was detected by Western blotting 0, 24, 48, 72, 120, and 144 hours later. BrdU method was used to detect the cell proliferation. Another HEK293A cells were divided into 3 groups: infected with recombinant adenovirus plasmid Ad-1457, infected with un-recombinant framework plasmid pAd-DEST, and un-infected. 72 hours later Western blotting was used to examine the level of beta-catenin. RESULTS: The GSK-3beta expression of the thyrocytes infected with the recombinant adenovirus plasmid Ad-1457 were significantly lower than those of the thyrocytes infected with Ad-DEST (all P<0.05). The expression of beta-catenin of the thyrocytes infected with Ad-DEST was significantly higher than those of the Ad-DEST group and un-infected group (both P<0.05). BrdU assay suggested that the proliferation rates 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after infection of the thyrocytes infected with Ad1457 plasmid were significantly higher than those of the thyrocytes infected with the plasmid pAd-DEST (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: RNAi adenovirus is an important tool inhibiting the expression of target gene efficiently. The Wnt/beta-catenin pathway plays an important role in the regulation of proliferation of human thyrocytes.

The preparation of fructose-modified chitosan microcarrier and culture of primary rat hepatocyte / 生物工程学报

Crosslinked chitosan microcarries were prepared by the reaction of glutaraldehyde with fructose-modified chitosan. Various factors that influence the preparation were studied and the reaction conditions were optimized. Morphology of rat hepatocyte cultured on chitosan microcarriers was observed using phase contrast microscopy and scanning electron microscope, the metabolic activity was measured. Rat hepatocytes cultured on chitosan microcarrier retained the spherical shape as they have in vivo and had high metabolic activity. Fructose can enhance the metabolic activity of hepatocytes and fructose-modified chitosan microcarrier is a promising scaffold for hepatocytes attachment, which can be used in bioartificial liver support system.

Construction of NF-?B/p65-targeting RNAi combinant adenovirus vector and its suppressive effect on the expression of p65 in ECV304 cells / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective To construct RNAi combinant adenoviral expressive vectors specific to p65 subunit of NF-?B and to observe their gene silencing effect on p65 subunit.Methods Three pairs of complementary. single-strand DNA oligos targeting three various sites of p65 mRNA were designed and synthesized.Annealling was used to generate double-strand oligos(ds-oligos),and then the ds-oligos were cloned into pENTR~TM/u6 to generate the entry clone named pENTR.Recombination reaction in vitro with the pENTR and pAd/BLOCK-iT~TM- DEST was used to creat the adenovirus plasmid which contains the RNAi cassette.Then,the adenovirus plasmids digested with PacI were transfected into HEK293A cells to product adenovirus,and latter infected the HEK293A cells to amplify the adenoviral stock.Plaque forming assay was used to titer the adenoviral stock.The p65 gene silencing effect induced by the RNAi adenovirus was detected by Western blot and immunocytochemistry assay in ECV304 cells.Results The RNAi adenovirus specific to p65 subunit of NF-?B were produced with titer of 3.0 x 10~9pfu/ml to 2.5?10~10pfu/ml.The expression of p65 protein in ECV304 cells could be down-regulated efficiently by the RNAi adenovirus 48-72 h after infection,which would last for more than 6 days after infection.Conclusion RNAi adenovirus is an important tool inhibiting the expression of target gene efficiently.