Elevation of serum apelin-13 associated with proliferative diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients

AIM: To compare apelin-13, a ligand of G-proteincoupled receptor which has been shown to be involved in retinal angiogenesis, and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) serum levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) with or without retinopathy, and to investigate the relationship between the serum concentration of apelin-13 and diabetes retinopathy.METHODS: Sixty-nine patients with T2 DM were enrolled.Of the 69 patients, 16 had proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR group), 23 had non-PDR(NPDR group)and 30 had no retinopathy(T2DM group). Subjects’ information, including demographics, medical history,and use of medications were recorded. Their serum samples were collected for measuring the levels of C-reactive protein(CRP), serum lipid and glycosylated hemoglobin. Apelin-13 and VEGF serum levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Kruskal-Wallis test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the differences among these groups. Chi-square test was used to assess categorical variables.Correlations between variables were investigated by Spearman rho correlation test and stepwise regression analysis. All statistical analyses were performed through SPSS 17.0 software.RESULTS: Sex, age, body mass index(BMI), blood pressure, CRP, hemoglobin A1c(Hb A1c) have no significantly difference in the three groups. Serum level of apelin-13 was significantly elevated in PDR group as compared with T2 DM group(P =0.041). Differences of VEGF serum concentration in the three groups were statistically significant(P =0.007, P =0.007 and P 【0.001,respectively). Spearman rho correlation test showed that serum apelin-13 was positively correlated with BMI,serum triglycerides, VEGF, but not with age, duration of diabetes, blood pressure, CRP, Hb A1 c and total-cholesterol. Stepwise regression analysis showed that BMI also significantly associated with serum apelin-13(P =0.002), while VEGF and serum triglycerides were irrelevant. CONCLUSION: This study elucidated a positive association of apelin-13 serum level with PDR, but not with VEGF. Apelin-13 may influence the promotion of PDR but unrelated with VEGF.

Exogenous phosphatidylethanolamine induces apoptosis of human hepatoma HepG2 cells via the bcl-2/bax pathway

AIM: To investigate the signaling pathways implicated in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-induced apoptosis of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. METHODS: Inhibitory effects of PE on human hepatoma HepG2 cells were detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell cycle, apoptosis and mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) were analyzed by flow cytometry. Immunocytochemical assay and Western blotting were used to examine Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 protein levels in HepG2 cells treated with PE. RESULTS: PE inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in a doseand timedependent manner. It did notaffect the cell cycle, but induced apoptosis. PE significantly decreased ΔΨm at 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mmol/L, respectively, suggesting that PE induces cell apoptosis by decreasing the mitochondrial transmembrane potential. The Bcl-2 expression level induced by different concentrations of PE was lower than that in control groups. However, the Bax expression level induced by PE was higher than that in the control group. Meanwhile, PE increased the caspase-3 expression in a doseand time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Exogenous PE induces apoptosis of human hepatoma HepG2 cells via the bcl-2/bax pathway.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Cognitive Impairment 3 Months after First-ever Stroke: A Cross-sectional Study of 5 Geographic Areas of China

This study examined the incidence, neuropsychological characteristics and risk factors of cognitive impairment 3 months after stroke in China. Five regions that differed in geography and economy in China were selected. Patients from the hospitals located in the five regions were prescreened at admission, and the demographic data, vascular risk factors and clinical characteristics of stroke were obtained. A battery of cognitive-specific domain tests was performed in the patients who failed to pass cognitive screening 3 months post stroke. Patients were diagnosed as having post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) or no cognitive impairment (NCI) based on the results of the neuropsy-chological tests. Univariate analysis was performed for suspect risk factors, and significant variables were entered in multivariable logistic regression analysis. Our results showed that a total of 633 patients were recruited 3 months after stroke; complete cognitive tests were performed in 577 of the stroke pa-tients. The incidence of PSCI in these Chinese patients was 30.7%. There were 129 (22.4%) patients with visuospatial impairment, 67 (11.6%) with executive impairment, 60 (10.4%) with memory impairment and 18 (3.1%) with attention impairment. The risk factors associated with PSCI were older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20–2.58), low education level (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.65–3.64), depressive symptom (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.09–2.61), obesity (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.41–4.71), stroke severity 3 months post stroke (OR 1.62, 95%CI 1.10–2.37) and cortex lesion (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.04–2.31). It was concluded that PSCI occurs commonly 3 months after first-ever stroke in Chinese patients. Visuospatial ability may be the most frequently impaired cognitive domain for the patients with stroke. The critical risk factors of PSCI are older age, low education level, depressive symptom, obesity, stroke severity 3 months post stroke and cortex lesion.

Expression of the DNA-repair protein XRCC1 and DNA-repair enzyme Ku70 mRNA in the rat cerebral cortex following global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion Is this correlated with neuroprotective effects of theanine?

BACKGROUND： Numerous studies have shown that apoptosis, caused by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, is a dynamic evolving process that occurs in a time-dependent fashion. Non-apoptotic cells can result in apoptosis, with a prolonged reperfusion period and an accumulation of DNA damage. Recent studies have indicated that theanine has a protective effect on the brain. Nonetheless, there is no research relating to whether theanine is neuroprotective following brain injury. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of theanine on apoptosis in the cerebral cortex and mRNA expression of the DNA repair protein, XRCC1, and DNA repair enzyme, Ku70, at various time points following global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A randomized, controlled animal study was performed at the Pharmacological Laboratory of Animal Experimental Center of Xi＇an Jiaotong University, China, from April to October 2007. MATERIALS： Theanine （Wuhan Remote Technology Co., Ltd., China）, XRCC1, Ku70 and GAPDH primers （Shanghai Sangon Biological Engineering Technology ＆ Services Co., Ltd., China） were used in this study. METHODS： A total of 108 healthy, male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation, ischemia/reperfusion and theanine groups. Each group was further divided into 6 subgroups, with six rats in each, according to reperfusion time （2, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours）. Rat models of global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion were established by the four-vessel occlusion method. Theanine （1 000 mg/kg） was injected into the caudal vein of rats in the theanine group immediately after surgery. Saline （4 mL/kg） was used in the sham operation and ischemia/reperfusion groups. The same dose was administered every 24 hours. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Flow cytometry was employed to determine apoptosis of cerebral cortical neurons. Real-time reverse transcdption-polymerase chain reaction was applied to quantify the expression of XRCC1 and Ku70 mRNA in the cerebral cortex. RESULTS： The apoptotic rate in the ischemia/reperfusion group was significantly greater compared with the sham operation group at various time points （P 〈 0.05）. The apoptotic rate in the theanine group was significantly diminished compared with the ischemia/reperfusion group, but significantly increased compared with the sham operation group at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours （P 〈 0.05）. Expression of XRCC1 and Ku70 mRNA was significantly decreased in the ischemia/reperfusion group compared with the sham operation group at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours （P 〈 0.05）. The relative expression of XRCC1 mRNA in the theanine group was significantly increased compared with the ischemia/reperfusion group, but significantly reduced compared with the sham operation group at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours （P 〈 0.05）. The relative expression of Ku70 mRNA was significantly lower in the theanine group compared with the sham operation group at 2, 6 and 12 hours （P〈 0.05） and significantly greater than the ischemia/reperfusion group at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： The apoptotic rate in rats following global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury reaches a peak at 24 hours after reperfusion; however, the levels of DNA repair protein began to decrease after only 2 hours of reperfusion. Theanine antagonizes the decrease in XRCC1 and Ku70 mRNA expression in the rat cerebral cortex during global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Ocular manifestations of internal carotid artery dissection

Internal carotid artery dissection(ICAD) results from disruption of the intima of the arterial wall, and can lead to intrusion of blood into the arterial wall and form an intramural hematoma. The hematoma can compress the true lumen of the vessel, causing functional stenosis or occlusion. The classic triad signs of ICAD include pain in the ipsilateral neck, head and orbital regions; a(partial) Horner syndrome; and cerebral or retinal ischemia. However, not all ICAD patients present with this classic signs. In some cases, ocular manifestations are the initial(and sometimes the only) findings. We summarize the ocular manifestations associated with ICAD in 3 categories: visual symptoms, oculosympathetic palsy, and ocular motor nerve palsy.

Clinical presentation of a mixed 23-gauge infusion and 20-gauge pars plana technique for active silicone oil removal

AIM: To present with a clinical case series of a mixed 23-gauge infusion and 20-gauge pars plena technique for 5,700-centipoise silicone oil removal (SOR), and to discuss its efficacy and safety. METHODS: This is a retrospective, non-randomized controlled study. We performed SOR with 23-gauge infusion and 20-gauge active suction technique on 29 patients 29 eyes from April to October, 2011 (mixed group). During the surgeries, a 23-gauge sclerotomy was made for infusion and a 20-gauge sclerotomy was used for active silicone oil suction. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) was applied for 23-gauge sclerotomy analysis 1 day post-operation. Traditional 20-gauge SOR was performed on another consecutive 29 patients 29 eyes, the control group (20G group). RESULTS: There were 2 eyes (6.9%) in mixed group and 5 eyes (17.2%) in 20G group which had recurrent retinal detachment after surgery. Hopytony (IOP <= 6mmHg) occurred in 8 eyes (27.6%) of mixed group and in 10 eyes (34.5%) of 20G group post-operation, but all of them recovered to the normal level finally. There were no statistical significant differences. Final visual acuity was significantly increased after surgery in both groups. Anterior segment OCT images were acquired from 13 eyes of mixed group, and all of them had a proper wound apposition. But local ciliary detachment was found in 9 eyes (69%). It was hard to define the OCT image of the sclerotomies and ciliary body because of the serious conjunctival hemorrhages and chemosis in 20G group. CONCLUSION: This mixed technique is a convenient and effective way to remove high viscosity silicone oil. Compared with traditional 20-gauge SOR, it does not increase the risk of post-operative complications and has less conjunctival reactions.. Transient postoperative hypotony is common for this procedure and subclinical ciliochoroidal detachment is a probable cause.

Alterations of serum cholinesterase in patients with gastric cancer

AIM: To understand the correlation of serum cholinesterase (CHE) activity with gastric cancer and to assess their clinical significance.METHODS: The velocity method was adopted to detect the activity of serum CHE in patients with gastric cancer and in patients with non-malignant tumor as controls.RESULTS: The serum CHE activity in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group with a very significant difference between the two groups (83.3:113.1,P = 0.0003). Age was significantly associated with the incidence of gastric caner.CONCLUSION: Serum CHE activity has a close relation with the incidence of gastric cancer.

Expression of HSP90 and HIF-1α in human colorectal cancer tissue and its significance

Objective:To investigate the expression of HSP90 and HIF-1αin human colorectal cancer tissue,the influence of HSP90 and HIF-1αon human colorectal cancer biological behavior and their related factors.Methods:The expression of HSP90 and HIF-1 a protein in human colorectal cancer as well as normal tissue were detected by imnmnohistochemical method.Results:The positive expression rates of HSP90 and HIF-1αprotein in normal human colorectal tissue as well as colorectal cancer tissue were 30%vs.63.0%,15.0%vs.71.7%,respectively.There were significant difference(P=0.035 and P=0.005 respectively).The expression of HSP90 was significantly correlated with the differentiation,Dukes stages and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05),while the expression of HIF-1 a was significantly correlated with the Dukes stages and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).Association analysis showed that the expression of HSF90 protein was significantly correlated with that of HIF-1αprotein(P<0.01).Conclusions:The expression of HSP90 and HIF—1αprotein may be related to the development,metastasis and invasion of human colorectal cancer,and their synergistic effects may participate in the development of the colorectal carcinoma.

Screening and identification of interacting proteins with hepatitis B virus core protein in leukocytes and cloning of new gene C1

瞄准：在外部血在 HBV 复制的致病调查 HBcAg 的生物功能单音的原子房间(PBMC ) 。方法：HBcAg 区域被聚合酶链反应(PCR ) 放大， HBV HBcAg 诱饵原生质标志 pGBKT7-HBcAg 被平淡的分子的生物方法构造。然后， recombinant 原生质标志 DNA 被转变成酵母 AH109。在 HBV 核心蛋白质在 AH109 酵母紧张(西方的污点分析) 被表示以后，酵母 -- 屏蔽的二个混血儿被与包含白血球 cDNA 图书馆的 Y187 交配 AH109 执行原生质标志。双酵母房间是合成退学学生营养培养基(SD/-Trp-Leu-His-Ade )(QDO ) 和合成退学学生营养培养基(SD/-Trp-Leu-His-Ade )(TDO ) 上的 plated。第二屏蔽与 LacZ 报告基因被执行(酵母房间在 QDO 被种中等包含 X-alpha-gal ) 。在从积极殖民地获得的 HBV 核心蛋白质和蛋白质之间的相互作用被重复酵母进一步证实 -- 二个混血儿。在原生质标志 DNA 从蓝殖民地被提取并且定序以后，结果被生物信息的方法分析。结果：十八个殖民地被获得并且定序，包括在癌症 2 的亢奋的甲基化( 3 关口)，真核细胞的翻译延伸因素 2 ( 2 关口)，乙酰辅酶 A 合成酶 3 ( 1 个关口一个)， DNA 聚合酶鲸鱼群妈( 1 个关口一个)，通常认为的翻译开始因素( 1 个关口一个)， chemokine ( C-C 主题)受体 5 ( 1 个关口一个)， mitochondrial ribosomal 蛋白质 L41 ( 1 个关口一个)， kyot 绑定蛋白质基因( 1 个关口一个)， RanBPM ( 1 个关口一个)，HBeAg有约束力的蛋白质 3 ( 1 个关口一个)，规划了细胞死亡 2 ( 1 个关口一个)。有未知功能的四新基因被识别。结论：在白血球的核心蛋白质交往蛋白质可以提供的 HBV 的基因的成功的克隆为学习 HBV 的生物功能的一些新线索核心蛋白质。

The Effect of Acupuncture on Plasma Endothelin Content in CerebralInfarction Patients——A Clinical Study

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture on content of plasma endothelin in cerebral infarction patients. Methods: The plasma endothelin content in cerebral infarction patients was observed before and after acupuncture, which was compared with that of the medication group and the healthy subjects. Results: Before treatment, the content of plasma endothelin in cerebral infarction patients was significantly higher than that of the healthy subjects (P<0.01); after acupuncture treatment, the content greatly decreased (P<0.01), and there was a statistically significant difference between the acupuncture group and the medication group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture may decrease the content of plasma endothelin in the cerebral infarction patients, improve the vascular elasticity, and improve the cerebral circulation of blood.

Impairment of Myocardial and Skeletal Mitochondria in Mice with Viral Myocarditis and Their Correlation

In order to investigate the impairment of mitochondrial membrane phospholipid local- ization and DNA3867 (mtDNA3867) deletion and the correlation between cardiac and skeletal muscle cells in mice with viral myocarditis, 50 BALB/c mice were divided into two groups randomly. In ex- perimental group (n=40), the mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.1 mL Eagle liquid with CVB3 (TCID50=108), while in the control group (n=10), the mice were subjected to equal volume of Eagle liquid. The impairment of mitochondrial membrane phospholipid localization and mtDNA3867 deletion rate of cardiac and skeletal muscle were detected separately at day 3, 11 and 24 after injec- tion. The correlation of mitochondrial membrane phospholipid localization and mtDNA3867 deletion rate between cardiac and skeletal muscle cells cells was analyzed using Spearman method. At the day 3 after injection, in both cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, mtDNA3867 deletion rate was significantly higher in experimental group than in control group (P<0.05), but the localization of mitochondrial membrane phospholipid showed no difference between two groups (P>0.05). At day 11 after injec- tion, the mtDNA3867 deletion rate of both cells in experimental group was increased to the peak level (P<0.05), and the impairment of mitochondrial membrane phospholipid localization of both cells also increased markedly in experimental group as compared with control group (P>0.05). At the day 24 after injection, the impairment of mitochondrial membrane phospholipid localization and mtDNA3867 deletion of both cells showed a recovery tendency, but still severer than those at the day 3 after injec- tion (P<0.05). The impairment of mitochondrial membrane phospholipid localization and mtDNA3867 deletion were consistent and synchronistic between cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, and showed good correlations (P<0.05). The impairment of mitochondria plays an important role in the patho- genesis of viral myocarditis, and the skeletal muscle cells might act as a peripheral 'window' to re- flect the mitochondrial damage of cardiac myocytes.

DAPT suppresses the proliferation of human glioma cell line SHG-44

Objective:To explore the suppressing effect ofγ-secretase inhibitor DAPT on proliferation of human glioma cell line SHG-44 in vitro and its mechanism.Methods:The SHG-44 cell was treated by DAPT with different concentration.The proliferation of cells was detected by MTT assay;cell cycle and TSC of CD133^+were determined by flow cytometry analysis technique;the key factor in Notch signaling pathway(Notch-1,Delta-1,Hes-1)was measured by reverse transcrip tase-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting.Results:DAPT inhibited the growth and proliferation of SHG-44 cells significantly(P<0.05).And the inhibiting effect on SHG-44 cells produced by DAPT showed a dose-dependent manner.DAPT increased the rate of cells in G_0/G_1 phase of SHG-44 cells,while it decreased the rate of cells in S phase.TSC of CD133^+was significantly reduced after DAPT treated SHC-44 cells.The expression of protein and mRNA of Notch-1,Delta-1 and Hes-1 were gradually downregulated with the increase of DAPT doses.Conclusions:DAPT can downregulate these key factor in Notch signaling pathway,reduce the TSC of CD133+and inhibit the proliferation of SHC-44 cells.

Correlation between Osteoporosis and Degeneration of Intervertebral Discs in Aging Rats

This study examined the correlation between osteoporosis and the degeneration of intervertebral discs. Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained up to 22 or 28 months. The femoral bone, tibial bone and lumbar vertebra were histologically studied and the expression of collagen type Ⅱ and Ⅹ in intervertebral discs was immunohistochemiscally determined. Several indices for the degeneration of intervertebral discs and osteoporosis and the correlation among them were then analyzed. Close correlations were found among the indices for the degeneration of intervertebral discs, including the relative area of the vascular bud, the ratio of the uncalcified and the calcified layers, the expression of collagen type Ⅱ and Ⅹ. The correlation with collagen type Ⅹ was negative. There existed positive correlations among the indices for osteoporosis, including the thickness ratio of cortical bone, the relative area of bone trabecula, the density of femoral and vertebral body bones, and the maximum stress and strain on bone. Analysis on the relationship of osteoporosis and the disease on disc showed that the indices of osteoporosis were negatively correlated with the indices of the degeneration of intervertebral discs but the expression of collagen type Ⅹ was positively correlated, with the density of vertebral body bones having the strongest dependence on collagen type Ⅹ. The maximum stress and strain bore no correlation with the degeneration of intervertebral discs. These results suggest that osteoporosis was negatively correlated with the degeneration of intervertebral discs.

Autophagy activation and the mechanism of retinal microvascular endothelial cells in hypoxia

AIM： To explore the state of autophagy and related mechanisms in the murine retinal microvascular endothelial cells（RMECs） under hypoxia stimulation.METHODS： The murine RMECs were primarily cultured and randomly divided into three groups： hypoxia group（cultured in 1% O_2 environment）, hypoxia＋autophagy inhibition group [pretreated with 5 mmol/L 3-methyladenine（3-MA） for 4 h followed by incubation in 1% O_2] and control group（cultured under normoxic condition）. The state of autophagy in RMECs was examined by assaying the turnover of light chain 3 B（LC3BB） and expression of Beclin-1, Atg3 and Atg5 proteins with Western blotting, by detecting formation of autophagosomes with transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and by counting the number of GFP＋ puncta in RMECs. The protein levels of AMPK, P-AMPK, Akt, P-Akt, m-TOR and P-m TOR were also assayed by Western blotting.RESULTS： Primary murine RMECs were successfully cultured. Under hypoxic conditions, the ratio of LC3BB-Ⅱ/Ⅰ and the expression of Beclin-1, Atg3 and Atg5 proteins were increased when compared with the control group. In addition, the numbers of autophagosome and the GFP＋ puncta were also increased under hypoxia. However, pretreatment with 3-MA obviously attenuated these changes in autophagy in RMECs under hypoxia. Protein expression of P-Akt and P-AMPK was increased but P-m TOR level was decreased in cells exposed to hypoxia. CONCLUSION： In murine RMECs autophagy is activated under hypoxia possibly through activation of the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Autophagy: a potential target for the treatment of intraocular neovascularization

The formation of neovascularization is a common pathological feature of many ocular vascular diseases, and is an important cause of vision loss in patients. Neovascularization can cause retinal hemorrhage, vitreous hemorrhage, and other serious complications, leading to loss of vision. The treatment of intraocular neovascularization is the focus of ophthalmology research. In recent years, some studies have found that autophagy is closely related to vascular endothelial growth factor and the formation of neovascularization. Autophagy is expected to become a new target for the treatment of intraocular neovascularization. Therefore, this article reviews the research on autophagy and the formation of intraocular neovascularization.

The relationship between the expression of tumor matrix-metalloproteinase and the characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging of human gliomas

Objective： To investigate the relationship between the expression level of matrix-metalloproteinases （MMPs） with the pathological grades and MRI characteristics of human gliomas. Methods： Prior pre- and post-contrast enhancement MRI was performed on 31 patients with gliomas, which were confirmed by post-operational pathology. The expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were determined by immunohistochemical staining in both a low grading group （grades I and II, n = 20） and high grading group （grades III and IV, n = 11）. Results： Compared to the low grading group, the expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, as well as the tumor edema index （EI）, enhanced percentage （EP） and maximum diameters were significantly greater in the high grading group. MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression were correlated with the tumor EI, EP and the maximum diameters. There were no differences in MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression between the unclear border definition group and the clear border definition group, whereas the MMPs expression levels were greater in the heterogeneous signal group than in the homogeneous signal group. Conclusion： The expression level of MMPs is correlated with the invasion ability of human gliomas. The MRI parameters, such as tumor El, EP, maximum diameter, and signal heterogeneity technically reflect the expression level of MMPs, and can be used to estimate the tumor＇s malignant behavior, thus providing the guidance for clinical therapies.

ANALYZING HLA HAPLOTYPE OF THE LOCI HLA-A,-B, AND-DRB1 IN MONGOLIA ETHNIC GROUP

Objective To investigate HLA-A,-B and -DRB1 allele and HLA-A-B-DRB1 haplotype frequencies in Mongolia ethnic group. Methods HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 allele and haplotype in the Mongolia ethnic group were investigated based on 93 individuals by PCR- sequence-based typing (SBT) method. Results Twenty-one alleles were detected for HLA-A, 44 for HLA-B, and 26 for HLA-DRB1. The most frequent alleles were HLA-A*2402(0.2097), HLA-B*1302(0.0699), and HLA-DRB1*0701(0.1237). The most common HLA-A-B-DRB1 haplotype were A*3001-B*1302-DRB1*0701, A*0101-B*3701-DRB1*1001, followed by the A*0201-B*4601-DRB1*0901, A*2402-B*4801-DRB1*1101, A*2402-B*5201-DRB1*1501, A*3201-B*3503-DRB1*1301, and A*3303-B*5801-DRB1*0301, which were also presented in Chinese populations. Conclusion The data can be used in forensic and paternity tests to estimate the frequency of a DNA profile or anthropologic research. The characteristics of the distribution of HLA alleles revealed that Mongolia ethnic group is characterized by northern Mongolian Chinese.

THE CHANGE OF SERUM TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-α LEVEL AND ITS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE DURING THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS B WITH LAMIVUDINE

Objective To evaluate the effect of lamivudine on immunity of chronic hepatitis B by observing the sequential changes of serum TNF-α and HBV-DNA level. Methods 31 CHB patients with elevated serum ALT/AST level and HBVDNA level higher than 106 copies/mL were treated with lamivudine (100mg/day) for one year. The sequential serum samples, which were taken at the 0, 3 rd, 6 th, 12 th month after initiation of therapy, were used to detect serum level of TNF-α and quantity of HBV-DNA respectively. Results ① The serum TNF-α levels were higher than normal value before treatment in all patients; ② At In the 3 rd month of treatment, The the serum HBV-DNA level began to decline and became negative in the 54.9% of all patients. At the end of treatment, HBV-DNA was negative in 48.4% of all patients; ③ The decrease of TNF-α level was later than HBVDNA level drop. TNF-α level began to decline after 6 months treatment. At the end of treatment, TNF-α level was lower than that at in 6 th month, TNF-α level returned to normal in the 38.7% of all patients; ④ The TNF-α level decreased significantly after 6 months treatment in the patients with ALT>80IU/L at the beginning of treatment. But in the patients with ALT≤80IU/L, the TNF-α level decreased just after 12 months treatment; ⑤ TNF-α level fell obviously and early in patients whose HBVDNA became negative at in the 3 rd month. Conclusion Lamivudine can suppress the replication of HBVDNA quickly, and decrease TNF-α level in the serum TNF-α level. It suggests that lamivudine can modulate immune response directly or indirectly. The changes of serum TNF-α level may be used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of lamivudine.

Molecular mechanism of Turmeric in the treatment of liver cancer based on network pharmacology

Objective:The aim of this study was to use network pharmacology to predict the targets and related signaling pathways of turmeric in the treatment of liver cancer.Methods:The active ingredients of turmeric turmeric and their corresponding targets were screened and collected through the traditional Chinese medicine components and systematic Chinese medicine pharmacology database and analysis platform(TCMSP)database.Through the online human Mendelian network(OMIM),the human genome annotation database(Genecards)and the GAD database,the targets related to liver cancer were collected and compared with the targets corresponding to the drug components,the common parts were screened out to obtain the potential target genes that overlap between turmeric and liver cancer.Cytoscape was used to construct the"compound-target"action network,and the protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed through STRING software to screen the key components and key targets of turmeric for the treatment of liver cancer,and the GO enrichment and KEGG enrichment analysis were conducted on the key targets to analyze their potential mechanism of action.Results:There were 15 active components and 45 target genes in the treatment of liver cancer with turmeric turmeric,and the drug-component-target-disease network showed that the key genes mainly included:MAPK1,MAPK3,AKT1,JUN,RELA,BCL2,CASP8,ESR1,ADRB2,etc.GO functional enrichment showed that biological processes and functions were concentrated in cofactor binding,phosphatase binding,amide binding,g-protein-coupled amide receptor activity,antioxidant activity,steroid activity,nuclear receptor activity,transcription factor activity,direct ligand regulation of sequence-specific DNA binding,and steroid hormone receptor activity.KEGG functional enrichment showed that the enriched pathways mainly included hepatitis b,human immunodeficiency virus 1 infection,apoptosis,hepatitis c and some cancer signaling pathways.Conclusion:The role of turmeric in the treatment of liver cancer may be realized through the above molecular mechanism,providing theoretical evidence for subsequent studies and clinical applications.

Impairments of spatial learning and memory in rat offspring with fetal growth restriction

Objective： Throughout the world, fetal growth restriction（FGR） is one of the most severe complications occurring during pregnancy. It is subsequently associated with neurologic abnormalities in chldren. Our aim was to investigate the spatial learning and memory ability of rat offspring born With FGR. Methods：A rat model of FGR was constructed using the method of passive smoking. Spatial learning and memory were studied in rat offspring born with FGR by assessing the animals＇ performance using the Morris water maze task. Results： At 1- and 2- months of age, both female and male offspring rats showed impairment of performance, while at 4 months of age, only female rats showed impaired performance. The FGR offspring spent a longer time swimming and used inefficient strategies（P〈 0.05, respectively）. However, there were no significant maze performance FGR effects in the 4 month old male rats. In all groups of FGR offspring, irrespective of age or sex, the time spent in the platform quadrant by the rat was significantly less than that in the control group（P〈 0.05）. Conclusion： The Morris water maze performance decreased in rat offspring born with FGR. It is suggested that FGR can cause impairments of spatial learning and memory in young animals.