BACKGROUND: Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1), a potential inhibitor of infection by lymphophilic HIV-1 strains, can help to block the pathway of HIV-1 invasion into the human body.OBJECTIVE: Genotype and polymorphism of SDF1-3 'A allele associated with HIV-1 infection were investigated in She Ethnic Group in the south of China so as explore the possible causes of uninfection by HIV-1 strains among this population.DESIGN: Single sample study.SETTING: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Gannan Medical College.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 186 She Ethnic subjects without HIV-1 infection collected randomly from those whose three generations belonged to She Ethnic Group, and inhabited in Qianshan County of Jiangxi Province,Ningde area of Fujian Province and Jingning She County of Zhejiang Province, from January to December 1995.METHODS: The whole blood samples from 186 She Ethnic subjects were collected randomly, and then their genomic DNA samples were extracted respectively. Allelic polymorphism was examined by the polymerase chain reaction and restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The distribution of SDF1-3'A allele in She Ethnic Group in the south of China.RESULTS: The data of 186 She Ethnic subjects entered the result analysis without any loss in the midway. The frequency of SDF1-3 'A allele in She Ethnic Group samples was 19.6%, and the allelic distribution of the gene was in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No difference was found between male and female individuals.CONCLUSION: The frequency of SDF1-3 'A allele of She Ethnic Group in the south of China was similar to that of Dai Nationality in Yunnan.Based on its slow-down effect on clinical course of AIDS, the mutation of SDF1-3'A is significant in the prevention and treatment of AIDS in She Ethnic Group in the south of China.

[ABSTRACT]AIM:Toexplorethedevelopmentofhepaticsinusoidalcapillarizationintheearlystageofliverfi-brosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats.METHODS:Clean SD rats were randomly divided into normal con-trol group (group N, n=6) and liver fibrotic model group (group M, n=32).The rats in group N were intraperitoneal in-jected with saline and the rats in group M were intraperitoneal injected with CCl 4(2 mL/kg, twice a week for 4 weeks).At the end of the 3rd day and the 1st, 2nd and 4th weeks, all rats were killed and then the samples were collected .The patho-logical changes in the livers were observed by HE staining and Masson straining .The development of hepatic sinusoidal capillarization was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunohistochemical staining .The cell sur-face expression of vascular endothelium-associated marker CD31, collagen type Ⅳ(Col IV) and laminin (LN) was deter-mined.RESULTS:HE and Masson staining showed the formation of liver fibrosis after treatment with CCl 4 for 4 weeks. TEM showed that the fenestrate diameter of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) grew down, the fenestrate numbers of LSECs were decreased along with the development of liver fibrosis , and the consecutive basement membrane was formed at the end of the experiment .The expression of CD31 was significantly increased along with the development of defenestration , and the expression of Col IV and LN was significantly increased after the treatment with CCl 4 for 2 weeks and 4 weeks , re-spectively .CONCLUSION:The typical hepatic sinusoidal capillarization was detected in the early stage of liver fibrosis , and the deposition of LN in the liver sinusoidal walls was the mainly factor of formation of the consecutive basement mem -brane .

Objective To observe the effect of proanthocyanidin on the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-кB) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods 36 healthy adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into proanthocyanidin treatment group (group A, n=12), methylprednisolone (MP) treatment group (group B, n=12) and model control group (group C, n=12). Allen's method was used to establish the model of acute spinal cord injury in T9. On the 1st, 3rd and 7th days after operation, 4 rats in each group were assessed with Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scale and Slanting Board Test (SBT), and the expression of NF-кB and IL-6 of the spinal cord were detected with immunohistochemistry. Results The scores of BBB and SBT were better in groups A and B than in the group C 3 and 7 days after SCI (P<0.05). Compared with group C, the expression of NF-кB in group A decreased all the time after SCI (P<0.01), and 3 and 7 days after SCI in group B (P<0.01); while the expression of IL-6 decreased all the time after SCI in groups A and B (P<0.05). Conclusion Proanthocyanidin may inhibit the expression of NF-кB and IL-6 in spinal cord after SCI in order to reduce inflammation and improve the hindlimb motor function in rats after SCI.