Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of low vision and blindness in the elder people.Various animal models based on the technology of the genetics are established recently in researches on this disease to investigate its pathogenesis or mechanisms.This article reviews different experimental genetic murine models of AMD used in recent studies.

BACKGROUND:With the development of the research, induced pluripotent stem cel s are applied to the build of disease model, drug screening, regenerative medicine, and many other research fields, and have made significant achievements, especial y in the study of nervous system diseases.
OBJECTIVE:To summarize the recent development of induced pluripotent stem cel s and to raise problems and prospects based on the latest research in this field.
METHODS:The first author searched the PubMed database for articles about the induced pluripotent stem cel s, including reviews, clinical research and basic research, published from January 2006 to September 2014. The keywords were“iPS, induced pluripotent stem cel”, and final y 60 articles were included in result analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Induced pluripotent stem cel research continues to make breakthrough from its discovery by Yamanaka’s team in 2006 to winning Nobel Prize in 2012. Induced pluripotent stem cel research has broad prospects in the disease model construction, drug screening and regenerative medicine. Currently, problems such as reprogramming methods, cel stability, and clinical transformation stil need to be solved, and further researches are necessary.

Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Sepsis ; complications ; physiopathology ; Shock, Septic ; complications ; physiopathology

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Ethylene Dichlorides ; poisoning ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Diseases ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective To analyze the risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in elderly patients with esophageal cancer aged 70 years and over. Methods 185 elderly patients aged 70 years and over after esophagectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to examine the risk factors for PPCs and related mortality. Results In 185 elderly patients from 70 to 86 years of age with a median age of 72 years, PPCs occurred in 36 patients(19.5%) including pneumonia in 23(63.8%) cases, atelectasis in 3 (8.3%) cases, adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in 2(5.5%) cases, pulmonary embolism in 1(2.7%) case and respiratory failure in 7(19.4%) cases. The related mortality was 5.9% (11cases) and the causes of death were pneumonia (4 cases), ARDS (1 case), pulmonary embolism (1case) and respiratory failure (5 cases). There were 43 (23.2%) cases with the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%)< 65% before operation. The bleeding volume during operation ranged from 200ml～2000 ml, with a mean volume of about 350ml, and was above 800ml in 8(4.3%) cases. Injury of recurrent laryngeal nerve during operation occurred in 13(7.0%) cases. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that smoking, obesity, poor preoperative pulmonary function (FEV1 % < 65%), bleeding volume over 800ml during operation and injury of recurrent laryngeal nerve were the independent risk factors for PPCs in elderly patients with esophageal cancer aged 70 years and over. Poor preoperative pulmonary function (FEV1% < 65%)(OR=29.49, P=0.023), bleeding volume over 800ml during operation(OR=32.93, P=0.011) and injury of recurrent laryngeal nerve(OR= 10.14, P= 0.034) were also the independent risk factors for related mortality of PPCs. Conclusions The high risks of PPCs and related mortality in elderly patients with esophageal cancer are not only due to the physiological and pathological characteristics of elderly people, but also due to the operative manipulation.

Aim To select a potential biomarker for early lung cancer diagnosis and targeted therapy by using the cancer specific bounded peptide ZS-6 which had already been obtained from the laboratory.Methods The peptide ZS-6 marked by biotin was used as a probe to pan out the human lung cancer cDNA phage display library,after 4 rounds of subtraction panning,the specific binding clones of ZS-6 were identified.After amplification and purification,then those DNA sequences were identified and analyzed with bioinformatics.Results 18 phage clones were identified to the specific peptide ZS-6 and the DNA sequence showed one of them was an unknown new gene while the others were known tumor related genes.Conclusion A tumor biomarker selected from human lung cancer cDNA library provides a potential tool for early lung cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Diethylstilbestrol ; therapeutic use ; Disease Progression ; Endocrine Disruptors ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Urologic Diseases ; drug therapy ; pathology

Aim: Clone and characterize of the 5′- flanking region of the nitrate reductase (NR) gene derived from Dunaliella salina(D. salina). Methods : The genomic DNA from D. salina was respectively digested with BamHI, EcoRI, HindIII, Pst I, Sal I and Xba I. A genomic walking cassette was ligated to the ends of the digested DNA fragments, and then genomic walking libraries comprising BL, EL, HL, PL, SL and XL were constsucted. The 5′- flanking region of the NR gene from genomic walking libraries of D. salina was amplified by LA-PCR. The DNA sequences were analyzed with the software - Promoter Predictions. Isolated 5′-flanking regions fused to the GUS gene were tested for transient expression in the alga. Results: A single specific PCR product of about 1200bp in length from the HL library was generated. Also, several conserved motifs, such as CAAT-box, GAGA-box were found, which are related to regulation of transcription, and the putative binding sites of transcriptional factors such as EBP, EFII, NF-E1 and LV. BLAST showed that the DNA sequences shared high homology with 5′-upstream region of the NR gene from Dunaliella viridis. The isolated 5′-flanking regions were able to strongly drive GUS reporter gene expression, suggesting that it contains the promoter elements necessary for the transcription of the NR gene. The expression pattern of the GUS gene and the NR gene were similar, both ware induced by nitrate and repressed by ammonium. Conclusion: The cloned 5′- flanking sequences of NR gene derived from D. salina might be a specific promoter with the ability to“switch on or off” an expression of the heterologous gene in transgenic D. salina.

The purpose was to compare the difference between transgene expressions driven by homologous duplicated carbonic anhydrase (DCA) promoter and foreign CaMV35S promoter in the unicellular green alga, Dunaliella salina(D.salina).The CaMV35S promoter-bar construct and DCA promoter-bar construct into D.salina by a Backon 2000 electroporation system were introduced. After the repeated selections with the phosphinothricin (PPT) of 3mg/L, 3 PPT-resistant phenotype transformants were isolated from the CaMV-bar and DCA-bar pools of transformants of D. salina, respectively. The results of PCR and sequencing showed that bar genes were stably integrated into the genome of D.salina, and Southern bolts showed the number of transgene copy had no significant difference between both promoters. Semi-quantitive RT-PCR indicated that the mRNA levels of bar gene were higher in DCA-bar transformants than the CaMV-bar transformants, and could be increased under the induction of high salt in DCA-bar transformants but not in the CaMV-bar transformants. Analysis of growth rate of transformants showed DCA-bar transformants achieved the log stage faster than the CaMV-bar transformants. It is concluded that the homologous promoters have more advantages than the foreign promoters in the transgenic D.salina.

Objective To understand the expiration date of alcohol-based hand disinfectant after it is opened for use,and provide reference for rational clinical application of alcohol-based hand disinfectant.Methods 20 bottles of the same brand alcohol-based hand disinfectant which opened at the same time by the clinical departments were selected as the study object,hand hygiene compliance in theses departments ranked fourth from the end in the hospital,specimens were taken on the first day after opening,and repeated every 10 days until the disinfectant was used up.Hand specimens were also taken after disinfected by disinfectant.Qualified condition of disinfectant and hand specimens was detected.Results A total of 98 disinfectant specimens were collected,by naked eye observation,20 bottles of alcohol-based hand disinfectant were free of discoloration,precipitation,and suspended matter during the whole study period.The qualified detection rates of alcohol-based hand disinfectant within 60 days after opening were all 100%.44 hand specimens were taken and detected after disinfection,3 of which were unqualified(all were disinfected by alcohol-based hand disinfectant 50 days after opening),then detected again after disinfected by the same batch of disinfectant,all were qualified,which suggested that unqualified detection result of hand specimens was not due to disinfectant.Conclusion Alcohol-based hand disinfectant still has a good bactericidal effect on the sixth day after opening.