Objective To investigate the effect of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation on the expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4c) and its role in the expression of HNF4α regulated by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1).Methods The expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA in six human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2,Huh-7,Hep3B,SMMC-7721,BEL-7405 and FOCUS),20 hepatic carcinoma specimens and corresponding adjacent tissues was detected by real-time reverse transcription polymerse chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR).The methylation status of the promoter region of HNF4αP1 in six human hepatoma cell lines was examined by bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP).FOCUS cells were treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-CdR) and then the methylation status of the promoter region of HNF4αP1 was examined by BSP.The expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR.The six human hepatoma cell lines were treated with TGFβ1 and the expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR.FOCUS cells were cotreated with 5-AZA-CdR,TGF-β1 and 5-AZA-CdR.The expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR,and t test was performed for statistical analysis.Results Among 20 human hepatic carcinoma specimens and corresponding adjacent tissues,the expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA of 13 human hepatic carcinoma specimens was lower than that of corresponding adjacent tissues (t=2.350,P＜0.05).The relative quantity of the expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA was higher in Hep3B,HepG2 and Huh-7 cells,whereas that in SMMC-7721,BEL-7405 and FOCUS cells was lower.The methylation of the promoter region of HNF4αP1 in HepG2,Huh-7 and Hep3B was lower,but that in SMMC-7721,BEL-7405 and FOCUS was higher.Along with the increasing of the concentration of 5-AZA-CdR (0,0.1,1.0 and 2.5 μmol/L),the degree of the methylation of the promoter region of HNF4αP1 in FOCUS cells gradually decreased (61％,46％,32％ and 27％),and however the relative quantity of the expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA gradually increased ((9.661 ± 0.336)×10-7,(2.001±0.432)×10-6,(3.689±0.714)×10-6and (4.732±2.451)×10-6).After stimulated with TGF-β1,the relative quantity of the expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA was downregulated in HepG2,Huh-7 and Hep3B cells in which the methylation of the promoter region was low (t=12.994,8.441,and 9.032,all P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the relative quantity of the expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA in SMMC-7721,BEL-7405 and FOCUS cells in which the methylation of the promoter region was high (all P ＞ 0.05).The relative quantity of the expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA in 5-AZA-CdR treated FOCUS cells ((4.972±0.035) × 10-6) was higher than that of control group ((1.411 ± 0.104) × 10-6) and the difference was statistically significant (t=13.212,P＜0.01).The relative quantity of the expression of HNF4αP1 mRNA in FOCUS cells co-treated with 5-AZA-CdR and TGF-β1 was lower than that in cells treated with 5-AZA-CdR alone and the difference was statistically significant ((1.181 ± 0.132) × 10-6 vs (4.972 ± 0.035) × 10-6,t=13.873,P＜0.01).Conclusions The expression of HNF4αP1 is down-regulated in hepatic carcinoma tissues.DNA methylation may regulate the expression of HNF4αP1 in hepatoma cells.The methylation of HNF4αP1 promoter region inhibits the regulating function of TGF-β1 in the expression of HNF4αP1.

Objective To optimize the extraction process for icariin from Herba Epimedii. Methods The content of icariin in the extracts obtained by different extraction methods was determined with HPLC. The effect of solvents, boiling time, extracting time and temperature, and the size of the medicinal powder was observed. Results Different extraction methods had great influence on the extraction rate of icariin. Conclusion This research can provide evidence for the extraction of active component from Herba Epimedii in industrial production.

Objective To evaluate the value of MR spectroscopy (MRS) in the differential diagnosis between recurrence and radiation encephalopathy after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods Muhi-voxel proton MRS was performed on 50 patients with NPC, who were suspected of intracalvarium tumor recurrence or radiation encephalopathy after radiotherapy by conventional MRI,including 44 males and 6 females. Among the 50 patients, 26 cases were finally diagnosised as basicranial tumor recurrence and 24 cases as radiation encephalopathy by clinical and MRI follow-up. The following metabolites, such as Cho, NAA, Cr, lactate and lipid, were analyzed comparatively between basicranial tumor recurrence and radiation encephalopathy(RE), and between the lesions and the relative normal brain tissue. Wilcoxon's rank sum test was used to analyze the data. Results The median of Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA,LI/Cr in tumor recurrence group were 2. 22, 2. 13, and 1.77, respectively, and 1.40, 1.31, and 0. 57,respectively, in RE group. The difference of Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA, and LL/Cr between the two groups were statistically significant (P < 0. 01). Those in tumor recurrence group were higher than in RE group. The median of Cho, Cr, NAA in tumor recurrence group and in RE group were 3366. 00, 1023.00, 1930. 00 and 2469.50, 1864.50, 1734.00. There were no significant difference of Cho, Cr, and NAA between the two groups (P > 0. 05). In the 14 cases whose normal brain tissue were compared with the recurrent tumor tissue in tumor recurrence group, the median of Cr, NAA, LL, Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA, LL/Cr of recurrent tumor tissue and normal brain tissue were 1023.00, 1930.00, 2090.00, 3.76, 2. 13, 3.39 and 2370.00, 3012.00, 1680.00, 1.64, 1.17, 0.75,The difference of Cr, NAA, LL, Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA, LL/Cr between the normal tissue and recurrent tumor tissue were significant (P <0.05). LL, Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA, LL/Cr of recurrent tumors were higher than those of the normal brain tissue,while NAA and Cr of recurrent tumors were lower than those of the normal brain tissue. In the 12 cases whose normal brain tissue were compared with the RE tissue in RE group, the median of Cho, Cr, NAA, LL, Cho/Cr, IX,/Cr of RE tissue and normal brain tissue were 390.00, 217.50, 427.50, 39.00, 1.30, 0.40 and 680.00, 360.00, 610.00, 30.00, 1.54, 0. 09. The difference of above-mentioned parameters between RE tissue and normal tissue were significant. Cho, Cr, NAA, Cho/Cr of RE were lower than those of normal tissue (P <0. 05) ,while LL and LL/Cr of RE were higher than those of normal tissue (P < 0. 05). Conclusion The changes of the metabolites in recurrent lesions and RE lesions were different on MRS. Parameters such as Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA and LL/Cr, which were higher in recurrent lesions than those of RE, were valuable for the differential diagnosis between basicranial tumor recurrence and radiation encephalopathy after radiotherapy for NPC.

Objective To explore the risk factors of and the influence of different hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA load on paternal vertical transmission of HBV.Methods Totally,161 HBsAg negative women,whose husband was HBsAg positive,attended the antenatal clinics of the Provincial Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Fujian from September 2007 to December 2008 and their newborns were selected,and the epidemiologic information,the duration of being a HBV carrier,the first class HBV family history of the fathers,HBV markers,HBV DNA load,HBsAb of the gravidas,the outcomes of the newborns were all collected.Cord blood was sampled after delivery for HBV DNA quantification and those with HBV DNA load ≥1.0×103 copy/ml were chosen as the case group and those ＜ 1.0×103 copy/ml as control.Results (1) Among the 161 newborns,36 HBV DNA positive cord blood samples were detected,giving a rate of 22.4% (36/161) for paternal vertical transmission of HBV.The HBV DNA positive rate in cord blood was 32.0% (23/72) in HBeAg-positive fathers and 14.6% (13/89) in HBeAg-negative fathers.(2) Univariate analysis showed that HBeAg-positive,HBV DNA positive,first class family history of HBV and the duration of being a HBV carrier of the fathers were risk factors of paternal HBV vertical transmission[X2= 6.892,29.916,29.499 and 23.821,OR = 2.7,5.2,8.3 and 1.4 (P＜0.01)].(3) Multivariate analysis found that paternal serum HBV DNA positive and the first class family history of HBV of the father side were risk factors of paternal vertical transmission of HBV (OR = 11.1,95% CI;4.6-27.1;OR = 17.1,95% CI:3.5-82.6).(4) According to the different serum HBV DNA load of the HBsAg-positive father,7 groups were divided.A dose dependent effect was found that the HBV DNA positive rate of the cord blood increased with the rising of HBV DNA load.No HBV DNA positive cord blood was detected when paternal HBV DNA load was＜1.0×104 copy/ml,while 100% of the cord blood were positive when paternal HBV DNA load≥1.0×108 copy/ml.(5) The average birth weight of the newborns in the two groups was the same (3.3±0.4) kg.And the delivery mode,gestational age at delivery,height and Apgar score of the newborns at 1 minute,neonatal pathological jaundice and other complications had no significant difference between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).No relationship was found between the neonatal outcomes and the paternal HBV vertical transmission (P＞0.05).Conclusions HBV DNA load in the serum of HBsAg-positive father,and the paternal first class family history of HBV are risk factors of paternal HBV vertical transmission.When the serum HBV DNA load in HBsAg-positive father is≥1.0×107 copy/ml,the possibility of paternal vertical transmission of HBV would increase.

Objective To compare the cumulative analgesic effects of electroacupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP6), Xuanzhong (GB39) and non-acupoint in treating primary dysmenorrhea. Method By adopting a multi-centered randomized controlled study method, 501 patients recruited from Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Capital Medical University, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Huguosi Hospital of Chinese Medicine of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and the Outpatient of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were randomized into a Sanyinjiao group, a Xuanzhong group, and a non-acupoint group, 167 subjects in each group. The electroacupuncture intervention was applied when dysmenorrhea flared up and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) ≥40 mm, with frequency at 2/100 Hz and intensity during patient’s endurance, 30 min each time, once a day, and for successive 3 d. Before the first treatment, 30 min after the first treatment, and respectively prior to the second and third treatment, VAS was used to measure the pain intensity. Meanwhile, the Retrospective Symptom Scale (RSS-COX 2) was investigated before the first treatment, right after the removal of needles for the first treatment, before the second and third treatment. Result The decrease of VAS in Sanyinjiao group was more significant than that in Xuanzhong group and non-acupoint group (MD=﹣2.92 mm, P=0.028; MD=﹣3.47 mm, P=0.009), while there was no significant difference between Xuanzhong group and non-acupoint group (MD=﹣0.56 mm, P=0.674); there were no significant differences in comparing the RSS-COX2 total score among the three groups (P=0.086). Conclusion Sanyinjiao (SP6) can produce a more significant cumulative analgesic effect for primary dysmenorrhea patient than Xuanzhong and non-acupoint, and the effects of Xuanzhong and non-acupoit are equivalent.

The concept of theranostics, where individual patient-level biological information is used to choose the optimal therapy for that individual, has become more popular in the modern era of ‘personalised’ medicine. With the growth of theranostics, nuclear medicine as a specialty is uniquely poised to grow along with the ever-increasing number of concepts combining imaging and therapy. This special report summarises the status and growth of Theranostic Nuclear Medicine in Singapore.We will cover our experience with the use of radioiodine, radioiodinated metaiodobenzylguanidine, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, prostate specific membrane antigen radioligand therapy, radium-223 and yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy.We also include a section on our radiopharmacy laboratory, crucial to our implementation of theranostic principles. Radionuclide theranostics has seen tremendous growth and we hope to be able to grow alongside to continue to serve the patients in Singapore and in the region.

The concept of theranostics, where individual patient-level biological information is used to choose the optimal therapy for that individual, has become more popular in the modern era of ‘personalised’ medicine. With the growth of theranostics, nuclear medicine as a specialty is uniquely poised to grow along with the ever-increasing number of concepts combining imaging and therapy. This special report summarises the status and growth of Theranostic Nuclear Medicine in Singapore.We will cover our experience with the use of radioiodine, radioiodinated metaiodobenzylguanidine, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, prostate specific membrane antigen radioligand therapy, radium-223 and yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy.We also include a section on our radiopharmacy laboratory, crucial to our implementation of theranostic principles. Radionuclide theranostics has seen tremendous growth and we hope to be able to grow alongside to continue to serve the patients in Singapore and in the region.
Hope ; Humans ; Lutetium ; Membranes ; Nuclear Medicine ; Prostate ; Radium ; Receptors, Peptide ; Singapore ; Theranostic Nanomedicine ; Yttrium

Calcium ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Parkinson Disease/therapy*