HEV is a positive strand RNA virus containing 3 open reading frames(ORFs), while the function of its binding protein pORF3 is poorly understood. In our study, the interactive protein of the pORF3 from human liver cDNA library was screened by the SOS recruitment system, and the construction of the pSOS bait-ORF3 plasmid was identified. The expression of the pORF3 was analyzed by Western blotting, and the detection result of the self activation of bait protein was obtained as expected. Totally, 8 putative interacting proteins had been successively screened. Some of these cellular binding proteins of pORF3, especially the important immunological pathway kinase p110δ, may advance our understanding of the role in ORF3 protein of HEV, and the possible implications of these candidate proteins for the further research are discussed.

Objective To observe the oral part of the facial artery and facial vein and to provide anatomical data for clinical applica-tion. Methods The origin, branches, course, diameter, position of oral part of facial artery and facial vein were observed on 32 fixed cada-ves (64 sides). Results The position relation between the facial artery and facial vein is non-constant. Measure the distance from inferior border of mandible to corner of the mouth, angulus mandibulae, mental protuberance midpoint. It is (5. 49 ± 0. 63) cm, (2. 50 ± 0. 89) cm and (6. 20 ± 1. 68) cm in the left side respectively, and (5. 69 ± 0. 72) cm, (2. 56 ± 1. 08) cm and (6. 85 ± 1. 86) cm in the right side re-spectively. The diameter of facial artery in inferior border of mandible is (0. 33 ± 0. 08) cm in the left side and (0. 38 ± 0. 07) cm in the right side;while the diameter of facial vein is (0. 40 ± 0. 12) cm in the left side and (0. 42 ± 0. 18) cm in the right side. The facial artery and facial vein are not concomitant and they are not asymmetry also. The position of superior labial artery arteries is constant, but the position of inferior labial artery arteries have more variations. Conclusion The branches, course, diameter and position of oral part of facial artery and facial vein have a number of variations. The superior labial artery arteries could be positioned more easily than inferior labial artery arter-ies. Being familiar with their distribution is of great importance for clinical application.

Objective To explore the correlations between intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters measured at different time points and histopathological markers in an orthotopic xenograft hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nude mice model. Methods A total of 40 HCC orthotopic bearing mouse models were established. When they grew to 21 days, 10 HCC-bearing mice were randomly selected as the baseline group (Group A) by a numeric table method. Then the rest mice were randomly selected on the 28th day, 35th day, and 42nd day of the growth by using the same method, 10 each for B, C, and D groups, respectively. All mice underwent MR IVIM study and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*) and perfusion fraction (f) were measured. After the MRI scanning, the tumors were removed for pathological examination. The necrosis score (NF), tumor size and microvessel density (MVD) were calculated. The IVIM parameters were compared among these 4 groups by Kruskal-Wallis H test and the correlations between these IVIM parameters and histological features were studied with Spearman rank correlation test. Results One tumor in each of C and D groups was excluded because f values of IVIM were close to zero. There were significant differences found in ADC and D among all the 4 groups (P＜0.05). However, no difference was found in D*and f (P＞0.05). Compared with the baseline (group A), ADC decreased significantly at 7 and 14 days, whilst D decreased significantly at 7 days. The differences in tumor size, MVD and NF between the 4 groups were statistically significant. Compared with the baseline, the tumor size and NF significantly increased at 7, 14 and 21 days, and MVD increased at 14 and 21 days. Significantly positive correlations were demonstrated between ADC and MVD, NF (r=0.461 and 0.442, P＜0.05), between D and MVD, NF (r=0.568 and 0.519, P＜0.05) after exclusion of the data from the baseline. The parameter f from all the time points including the baseline was positively correlated with histological MVD and NF (r=0.590 and 0.458, P＜0.05). Conclusion IVIM parameters may reflect the intratumoral vascularity, tumor cell proliferation and necrosis of HCC, and they are correlated with the pathological indicators.

Objective To investigate the effects of CD226 knockout ( KO) on obese mice fed with high fat diet and to analyze the composition of immune cells in CD226KO obese mice for further elucidating the immunological mechanism of CD226 involved in high fat diet-induced obesity. Methods Both wild-type ( WT) and CD226KO mice were randomly divided into two groups, high-fat and normal diet groups, and fed for 14 weeks to establish the type 2 diabetes model. Immune cells in mouse spleen and peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry. In in vitro experiments, NK92-MI cells were infected with pshRNA-CD226 lenti-virus to silence CD226 expression, and then qPCR was performed to detect the expression of Foxp3, TNF-αand IFN-γ at mRNA level. Results In the high-fat diet groups, CD226KO mice had lower blood glucose, serum insulin and HOMA-IR than WT mice, but higher HOMA-IS and HOMA-β. CD226KO could reduce compensatory hyperplasia of islet tissue, and significantly down-regulate the proportion of spleen NK cells in mice. The proportion of CD3-CD49b+CD25+Foxp3+regulatory NK cells (NKreg) increased significantly in CD226KO mice. CD226KO could significantly increase Foxp3 expression in NK92-MI cells and decrease the expression of TNF-α and IFN-γ. Conclusions CD226KO can alleviate insulin resistance, increase the number of islet β-cell and improve islet β-cell function in obese mice. The mechanism might be related to the up-regulation of Foxp3+ NKreg ratio.