Association of Connexin Gene Polymorphism with Essential Hypertension in Kazak and Han Chinese in Xinjiang,China

Essential hypertension（EH） is affected by both genetic and environmental factors.The polymorphism of connexin（Cx） genes is found associated with the development of hypertension.However,the association of the polymorphism of Cxs with EH has not been investigated.This study aimed to investigate the association of the polymorphism of connexin（Cx） genes Cx37,Cx40,and Cx43 with EH in Kazak and Han Chinese in Xinjiang,China.Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism（PCR-RFLP） method and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF-MS） were used to analyze the polymorphism of Cx genes in Kazak and Han EH patients as well as their normotensive controls.The results showed that there were no significant differences in the frequencies of different three genotypes（A/A,A/G,and G/G） and A and G alleles of Cx40 rs35594137 and rs11552588 between EH patients and normotensive controls.However,in Kazak EH patients,the frequencies of three genotypes（A/A,A/G,and G/G） of Cx37 rs1630310 were 24.8%,47.2% and 28.0%,respectively,which were significantly different from those in Han EH patients.In Han EH patients,the frequencies of the three genotypes（C/C,C/G and G/G） of Cx43 rs1925223 were 6.4%,35.6% and 58.0%,respectively.Frequencies of the other four genotypes had no statistical differences among Kazak and Han EH patients and their normotensive controls.These results suggest polymorphisms of Cx37 rs1630310 and Cx43 rs1925223 genes may be associated with the pathogenesis of EH.Carrying Cx37 rs1630310-A or Cx43 rs1925223-G genotypes may protect against the development of EH.

Fluoride Exposure,Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor Gene Polymorphism and Hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian Axis Hormones in Chinese Women

The effects of fluoride exposure on thefunctions of reproductive and endocrine systemshave attracted widespread attention in academiccircle nowadays. However, it is unclear whether thegene-environment interaction may modify thesecretion and activity of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian （HPO） axis hormones. Thus, the aim of thisstudy was to explore the influence of fluorideexposure and follicle stimulating hormone receptor（FSHR） gene polymorphism on reproductivehormones in Chinese women. A cross sectionalstudy was conducted in seven villages of HenanProvince, China during 2010-2011. A total of 679women aged 18-48 years were recruited throughcluster sampling and divided into three groups, i.e.endemic fluorosis group （EFG）, defluoridationproject group （DFPG）, and control group （CG） basedon the local fluoride concentration in drinkingwater. The serum levels of gonadotropin releasinghormone （GnRH）, follicle stimulating hormone（FSH）, luteinizing hormone （LH）, and estradiol （E2）were determined respectively and the FSHRpolymorphism was detected by real time PCR assay.The results provided the preliminary evidenceindicating the gene-environment interaction onHPO axishormones in women.

Genetic Variants in the ELOVL5 but not ELOVL2 Gene Associated with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Han Chinese Breast Milk

The present study was designed to examine the contributions of the fatty acid elongase （ELOVL） gene polymorphisms to the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids （PUFAs） in breast milk. Two hundred and nine healthy Han Chinese mothers were included in the study. Carriers of minor alleles of SNPs （rs2397142 and rs9357760） in ELOVL5 were associated with higher levels of linoleic acid （LA）, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid （DGLA）, arachidonic acid （AA）, docosatetraenoic acid （DTA）, docosahexenoic acid （DHA）, while in rs209512 of ELOVL5 the carriers of minor alleles had lower levels of DTA compared to major homozygote alleles （P ranged from 0.004-0.046）, and genetically explained variability ranged from 3.2% for eicosapentaenoic acid （EPA） to 6.0% for LA. Our findings demonstrated that common variation in ELOVL5 gene encoding rate-limiting enzymes in the metabolism of PUFAs contribute to the PUFAs in breast milk.

The polymorphism of heat shock protein 70 genes in Chinese Han population in Fujian province

To understand the polymorphism of the heat shock protein 70 （HSPTO） genes in Chinese Han population and to explore the co-relations between HSP70 polymorphism and disease, three polymorphic loci of HSP70 genes in 127 healthy Chinese Han population in Fujian province were analyzed by PCR and restriction enzyme analysis, and the genotypes and allele frequencies of HSPTO in different populations from various area were compared. It was found that the proportions of HSPTO-1 genotypes GG, GC and CC among Chinese Han population in Fujian province were 55.1%, 40.2% and 4.7% respectively, while those of HSP70-2 genotypes AA, AG and GG were 44.1%, 48.8 % and 6.9% respectively, and those of HSP70-hom genotypes TF, TC and CC were 59.8%, 37.0% and 3.2% respectively. The allele frequencies of G and C in HSP70-1 were 75.2% and 24.8% ; those of A and G in HSP70-2 were 68.5% and 31.5% and those ofT and C in HSP70-hom were 78.3% and 21.7% respectively. The distribution of the HSPTO-1 polymorphisms in Chinese Han population was almost the same as those in Japanese and Mexican populations, but it was rather different from those of American and Spanish populations with a significant differences. Meanwhile, the frequency of GG homozygote in HSPTO- 1 was signifi- cantly higher than those in American and Spanish populations. No significant difference was found in the distribution of HSPTO-2 polymorphism between Chinese and Japanese populations, in which the differences among American, Mexican and Spanish populations were quite obvious. The frequency of AA homozygote in HSPTO-2 was significantly higher than those in Mexican, American and Spanish populations, while, the distribution of HSPTO-hom genotype and allele frequency in Chinese Han population was almost just the same as those in Japanese and Mexican populations. Furthermore, it was also found that the genotype distribution and allele frequencies of the HSPTO genes in Han population of Fujian province were almost the same as those in Han population in Taiwan, but they were different in certain loci from those of Han population in Wuhan area. It is evident that the distribution of HSPTO gene polymorphisms among Chinese Han population are different from other regions in the world.

Isolation and characterization of an ERF-B3 gene associated with flower abnormalities in non-heading Chinese cabbage

BrcERF-B3 gene, a member of ethylene-responsive factor family, was screened from a mutant plant in non-heading Chinese cabbage（Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis） by cDNA-AFLP technology. We got full length cDNA of two BrcERF-B3 genes by homology-based cloning from two materials and found that their nucleotide sequences were the same by sequencing. The BrcERF-B3 protein, belonging to the B3 subgroup of the ERF subfamily, shared a close relationship with B. rapa. RT-PCR result showed that BrcERF-B3 expressed only in mutant stamen rather than maintainer stamen. qRT-PCR results indicated that BrcERF-B3 expressed highly during reproductive growth development and in the early of mutant buds, suggesting BrcERF-B3 might be involved in the formation of abnormal flower in mutant. What＇s more, the expression of BrcERF-B3 was more significant to ABA, Me JA and cold stresses in mutant than in maintainer and was down-regulated in NaCl treatment in two lines, implying BrcERF-B3 might be different roles in biotic and abiotic stresses.

Cytotoxic genes from traditional Chinese medicine inhibit tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo

OBJECTIVE： Little effort has been made to study the protein-encoding genes isolated from traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） drugs, and the delivery of these genes into malignant cells through recombinant adeno-associated virus（r AAV） vectors has not been attempted. METHODS： We synthesized the c DNAs of five known cytotoxic proteins isolated from TCM drugs and the FLAG epitope-tagged c DNAs were subcloned into a r AAV plasmid vector. The protein expression was confi rmed by Western blot assay. Various cancer cell lines were transfected with the above plasmids and cell growth was monitored both in vitro and in vivo. The best cytotoxic gene was further packaged into r AAV vectors, under the control of a liver cancer-specifi c promoter. The liver tumor growth was then monitored following intratumor administration of the r AAV vectors.RESULTS： The expression plasmids, encoding individual potential cytotoxic genes tagged with FLAG epitope, were successfully generated and sequenced. Among these genes, trichosanthin（TCS） gene yielded the most promising results for the inhibition of cancer cell growth in vitro. The over-expressed TCS functioned as a type I ribosome-inactivating protein, followed by inducing apoptosis that is associated with the Bcl-PARP signaling pathway. Furthermore, intratumor injection of r AAV vectors containing the TCS gene signifi cantly inhibited the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma tumors in a murine xenograft model.CONCLUSION： Our studies suggest that the use of TCM cytotoxic genes is a useful therapeutic strategy for treating human cancers in general, and liver tumors in particular.

Positive Selection of CAG Repeats of the ATXN2 Gene in Chinese Ethnic Groups

The ataxin-2 （ATXN2） gene is located on human chromo-some 12q24.1. In normal individuals, the coding region in exon 1 of this gene has fewer than 31 CAG repeats （Yu et al., 2005： Laffita-Mesa et al., 2012）. However, an abnormal expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeats results in the aggre-gation of polyglutamine （polyQ）, which causes spinocer-ebellar ataxia type 2 （SCA2） （Pulst et al., 1996）. The expanded alleles have more than 32 repeats in the affected individuals, and generally there is an inverse correlation between CAG repeat length and age of onset （Pulst et al., 1996）. SCA2 is an autosomal dominant inheritance neurodegenerative disease, whose major clinical feature is progressive cerebellar ataxia. Atrophies of the brainstem and frontal lobe have been frequently detected by magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） （Yamamoto-Watanabe et al., 2010）. This disease has the strong effect on sensory and motor control.

RELATIONSHIP OF LDLR GENE POLYMORPHISM AND NIDDM IN CHINESE

Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes of 105 healthy and 75 NIDDM Chinese subjects, The fragment located in exon 13 of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and digested with restriction enzyme HincII, LDL, TC and TG levels were measured in all subjects, investigations were conducted to explore the correlation between the HincII RFLP of LDLR gene aned NIDDM in the Chinese population. The results showed that no significant correlation existed between this RFLP locus and NIDDM. Marked differences were found, however, between the genotype distribution of low LDL level subgroups of NIDDM patients and normal controls. It was inferred that the H1 allele might be associated with high blood cholesterol levels, and the H2 allele with low cholesterol levels. Disturbances of lipid metabolism occur frequently in diabetes mellitus. This study suggested that differences in LDLR genotypes may affect the phenotypes of lipid metabolism.

Expression profiling-based clustering of healthy subjects recapitulates classifications defined by clinical observation in Chinese medicine

Differences between healthy subjects and associated disease risks are of substantial interest in clinical medicine. Based on clinical presentations, Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） classifies healthy people into nine constitutions： Balanced, Qi, Yang or Yin deficiency, Phlegm-dampness, Damp-heat, Blood stasis, Qi stagnation, and Inherited special constitutions. In particular, Yang and Yin deficiency constitutions exhibit cold and heat aversion, respectively. However, the intrinsic molecular characteristics of unbal- anced phenotypes remain unclear. To determine whether gene expression-based clustering can reca- pitulate TCM-based classification, peripheral blood mononudear cells （PBMCs） were collected from Chinese Han individuals with Yang/Yin deficiency （n = 12 each） and Balanced （n = 8） constitutions, and global gene expression profiles were determined using the Affymetrix HC-UI33A Plus 2.0 array. Notably, we found that gene expression-based classifications reflected distinct TCM-based subtypes. Consistent with the clinical observation that subjects with Yang deficiency tend toward obesity, series-clustering analysis detected several key lipid metabolic genes （diacylglycerol acyltransferase （DGAT2）, acyl-CoA synthetase （ACSL1）, and ATP-hinding cassette subfamily A member 1 （ABCAI）） to be down- and up- regulated in Yin and Yang deficiency constitutions, respectively. Our findings suggest that Yin]Yang deficiency and Balanced constitutions are unique entities in their mRNA expression profiles. Moreover, the distinct physical and clinical characteristics of each unbalanced constitution can be explained, in part, by specific gene expression signatures.

Effect of Bushen Yisui Capsule(补肾益髓胶囊) on Oligodendrocyte Lineage Genes 1 and 2 in Mice with Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Objective： To study the effects of Bushen Yisui Capsule（补肾益髓胶囊, BSYSC） on the oligodendrocyte lineage genes（Olig） 1 and Olig2 in C57BL/6 mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis（EAE） in order to explore the remyelination effect of BSYSC. Methods： The mice were randomly divided into normal control（NC）, EAE model（EAE-M）, prednisone acetate（PA, 6 mg/kg）, BSYSC high-dose（3.02 g/kg） and BSYSC low-dose（1.51 g/kg） groups. The mice were induced by immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein（MOG） 35-55. The neurological function scores were assessed once daily. The pathological changes in mice brains were observed with hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining and transmission electron microscope（TEM）. The protein expressions of myelin basic protein（MBP）, Olig1 and Olig2 in brains were measured by immunohistochemistry. The m RNA expressions of Olig1 and Olig 2 was also determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results： Compared with the EAE-M mice,（1） the neurological function scores were significantly decreased in BSYSC-treated mice on days 22 to 40（P〈0.01）;（2） the inflammatory cells and demyelination in brains were reduced in BSYSC-treated EAE mice;（3） the protein expression of MBP was markedly increased in BSYSC-treated groups on day 18 and 40 respectively（P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）;（4） the protein expression of Olig1 was increased in BSYSC（3.02 g/kg）-treated EAE mice on day 40（P〈0.01）. Protein and m RNA expression of Olig2 was increased in BSYSC-treated EAE mice on day 18 and 40（P〈0.01）. Conclusion： The effects of BSYSC on reducing demyelination and promoting remyelination might be associated with the increase of Olig1 and Olig2.