Detection and identification of intestinal pathogenic bacteria by hybridization to oligonucleotide microarrays

AIM： To detect the common intestinal pathogenic bacteria quickly and accurately.METHODS： A rapid （〈3 h） experimental procedure was set up based upon the gene chip technology, Target genes were amplified and hybridized by oligonucleotide microarrays.RESULTS： One hundred and seventy strains of bacteria in pure culture belonging to 11 genera were successfully discriminated under comparatively same conditions, and a series of specific hybridization maps corresponding to each kind of bacteria were obtained. When this method was applied to 26 divided cultures, 25 （96.2%） were identified.CONCLUSION： Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli, Shigella sp., Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus , Proteus sp., Bacillus cereus, Vibrio cholerae, Enterococcus faecalis, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Campylobacter jejuni can be detected and identified by our microarrays. The accuracy, range, and discrimination power of this assay can be continually improved by adding further oligonudeotides to the arrays without any significant increase of complexity or cost.

Impacts of Passive Smoking on Learning and Memory Ability of Mouse Offsprings and Intervention by Antioxidants

Objective To determine the impact of passive smoking and the protective effect of antioxidants such as vitamin E and quercetin on learning and memory ability of mouse offsprings. Methods A passive smoking model of pregnant mice was established. Learning and memory ability was evaluated by the water maze test and long term potentiation （LTP）. Nitric oxide （NO）, content, nitric oxide synthase （NOS）, acetylcholinesteras （Ache） activity in brain, vitamin E concentration, and reactive oxygen species （ROS） in serum were determined. The latency period （the time during which the mice swim from the starting position to the ending position） and errors （the number of mice entering the blind end） in control and antioxidant intervention groups were compared with those in the smoke exposure group after 6 days. Results The latency period as well as errors in the air, control diet, tobacco smoke （TS）, and vitamin E diet groups were decreased significantly as compared with the TS and control diet groups （P〈O.05）. LTP was restrained in the TS and control diet groups. LTP in all the antioxidant diet groups was significantly increased compared with the TS and control diet groups. In addition, NOS and acetylcholinesteras （Ache） activitiy was significantly higher in the TS and control diet groups than in the air and control diet group. NO content was not significantly different among the different groups, and significantly lower in the TS and vitamin E diet groups than in the TS group, control diet group, quercetin diet group, and mixture diet group （P〈0.05）. Vitamin E concentration and ROS activity in serum were correlated with the outcome of water maze and LTP. Conclusion Passive smoking reduces LTP formation by disturbing the hippocampus function of mice, by decreasing NOS （especially vitamin E） partially improve the learning and memory smoke during pregnancy. and Ache activity and increasing NO content. Antioxidants ability of offsprings whose mothers are exposed to tobacco

Expression of Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor in Human Lung Cancer： Possible Clinical Significance

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between CAR and the development of human lung cancer, as well as to provide the basis for the clinical treatment of lung cancer using an adenovirus vector-based gene therapy. METHODS CAR expression was assessed immunohisto- chemically in tumoral, paraneoplastic and normal samples from 112 lung cancer patients. At the same time, the mRNA and protein expression of CAR in 32 cases were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot. The relationship between CAR expression and clinicopathologic parameters was statistically analyzed. RESULTS There was no expression of CAR in normal lung tissue but a little in paraneoplastic tissue. The positive rate was 43% in squamous cell carcinoma, and 70% in adenocarcinoma. Both were much significantly higher than that in paraneoplastic tissue. The CAR expression level in adenocarcinoma was higher than that in squamous cell cancer, mRNA expression by RT-PCR and protein expression by Western blot were consistent with immunohistochemistry results. CONCLUSION CAR is overexpressed in human lung cancer, especially in adenocarcinoma. This data offer the reliable basis for adenovirus-mediated gene therapy of lung cancer; more important, CAR may take part in the formation or development of lung cancer; this may be exploitable for the development of antibody-directed therapy in human lung cancer.

Seroprevalence and evolutionary dynamics of genotype 4 hepatitis E virus in Shandong Province,China

AIM: To investigate the seroprevalence and evolutionary dynamics of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and assess the ancestor of HEVs in China’s Shandong Province.

Excretion and detection of SARS coronavirus and its nucleic acid from digestive system

AIM： To study whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus （SARS-CoV） could be excreted from digestive system.METHODS： Cell culture and semi-nested RT-PCR were used to detect SARS-CoV and its RNA from 21 stool and urine samples, and a kind of electropositive filter media particles was used to concentrate the virus in 10 sewage samples from two hospitals receiving SAILS patients in Beijing in China. RESULTS： It was demonstrated that there was no live SARS-CoV in all samples collected, but the RNA of SARS-CoV could be detected in seven stool samples from SARS patients with any one of the symptoms of fever, malaise, cough, or dyspnea, in 10 sewage samples before disinfection and 3 samples after disinfection from the two hospitals. The RNA could not be detected in urine and stool samples from patients recovered from SARS.CONCLUSION： Nucleic acid of SARS-CoV can be excreted through the stool of patients into sewage system, and the possibility of SARS-CoV transmitting through digestive system cannot be excluded.