Small GTP binding protein Rho and its downstream Rho-kinase pathway play an important role in the various cellular functions, including contraction, migration, proliferation, adhe-sion and apoptosis, etc. This article reviews the role of Rho/Rho-kinase pathway in the pain generation and development and clinical application of Rho/Rho-kinase inhibitors. It discusses the feasibility of Rho/Rho-kinase as a target for analgesics. Ac-cumulating experimental and clinical evidences indicate that Rho/Rho-kinase pathway is involved in the neuropathic pain, inflammatory pain, diabetic painful neuropathy, cerebral vaso-spasm, vasospastic angina and cancer pain, etc. Therefore, Rho/Rho-kinase is a potential drug target of the pain, and it provides new therapeutic treatments and strategies for pain in clinic.

Objective To explore the feasibility of detecting the mutations of rpoB gene in rifampin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains by gene chip. Methods The DNA chip was designed according to the sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis rpoB gene. The DNA fragments which contained hot mutation sites of rpoB gene were labelled with cy3 fluorescence, amplified by PCR technique and hybridized with gene chip. The DNA sequencing was used as the control. Results Eighteen of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains were detected for the mutations of rpoB gene by gene chip. Among them, one sensitive strain was identical with the type strain, and all of 17 strains with rifampin-resistant, rpoB mutations were detected. Of the 17 strains with rpoB mutations, 14 were detected as single point mutation, one was detected as double sites point mutations with the sites of 511 and 516, and two were detected as single point mutation with the sites of 518 and 526, respectively. Because the probe of 517 rifampin-resistant did not be dotted on the gene chip, only sites of 518 and 526 mutations were detected, which were consistent with the results of DNA sequencing. Conclusion Using the gene chip could detect mass rpoB gene mutation of rifampin-resistant with higher specialty and sensitivity, which could be used for clinical detection of rifampin-resistant strains and clinical medicine.

To study the therapeutic action of tuberculosis Ag85A DNA vaccines. Methods:BALB/c mice were infected by in-traperitoneal injection with M. tuberculosis H37Rv for 8 weeks, and then treated with the saline (A), plasmid vector (B), M. bovis BCG (C), M. vaccae (D), and Ag85A DNA vaccine (E). Ag85A-specific antibodies were determined by ELISA. The lungs, livers and spleens were taken and observed their pathological changes, weighted and performed mycobacterial cultures 2 or 5 monthes after treatment. Spleen cells were tested for proliferative responses.Results:Ag85A-specific antibodies increased in the mice of group E. At 2 months after immunothera-pies, the stimulation rates of spleen cells had no significant difference among each group. The numbers of viable bacteria in the lungs and spleens of therapeutic group were lower than those in the control group. The group C and B could be observed slight .lesion of lung. At 5 months after immunotherapies, the stimulation rates of spleen cells all increased significantly in the immunotherapeutic groups. The numbers of viable bacteria in the lung and spleen had no significant difference among each group. No lesions of lung could be observed in group E and D. Conclusion:The tuberculosis DNA vaccines seem to have some immunotherapeutic actions.

Objective:To summarize the research advance in antitumor activity of dandelion in recent 5 years.Methods:The lit-eratures on the antitumor activity of various extracts of dandelion in recent 5 years were collected , including the effective components such as polysaccharide , triterpenes , phytosterols , flavonoids and organic acids etc .Results:Dandelion showed antitumor activity .The polysaccharide ingredients could effectively prevent the proliferation of pancreatic cancer PANC -1 cells, lupeol could reduce the activity of breast cancer MCF-7 cells, and beta sitosterol could induce the apoptosis of human cervical cancer Hela cells .Conclusion:Dande-lion is effective in the treatment of pancreatic cancer , breast cancer and cervical cance etc .The antitumor activity of the other active in-gredients in dandelion needs further research in order to provide complete theoretical and experimental evidence for the potential appli -cation as antitumor medicine in clinics .

Objective To investigate the clinical and pathological features of gastric cancer with ovarian metastasis and to analyze the reasons for its misdiagnosis. Methods There were 52 cases of gastric cancer with ovarian metastasis who had pathologic diagnoses from Jan. 1990 to Jun. 2004, whose clinical datum, pathological classification and the reasons for misdiagnosis were reviewed retrospectively and analyzed. Results The average age of the patients was 40.15?1.28 ( the ages ranging from 22 to 64 ). These patients's first symptoms and signs often were a metastatic ovary cancer. The main ultrasonographic findings were either a complex type of mass with both solid and cystic characteristics or only solid one, most of which accompany hydroperitonia, and among them metastatic ovary tumors on both sides reached 76.9 %. The serum CA125 levels increased, amounting to ( 99.85?14.23)U/mL on the average. It was greatly lower than a primary ovarian cancer(P

Objective:To establish a quality control method for Shuangshengen capsules ( Salvia miltiorrhiza, Panax ginseng and Radix pueraria) . Methods:TLC was performed to identify Salvia miltiorrhiza, Panax ginseng and Radix pueraria. HPLC was used to determine the contents of puerarin and ginsenoside Rg1 . Results:The spots obtained from the test solutions had the same color as the reference solution at the same position. The spots on the TLC plates were clear without any interference. The calibration curve was line-ar within the range of 14. 42-115. 36 ng for puerarin, and the average recovery was 99. 94%(RSD=0. 13%, n=5). The calibration curve was linear within the range of 0. 1-0. 8 μg for ginsenoside Rg1, and the average recovery was 99. 85%(RSD=0. 42%,n=5). Conclusion:The method is reliable, simple and reproducible, and suitable for the quality control of Shuangshengen capsules.

Objective To identify a novel pathogenicity mutation of acid alpha‐glucosidase(GAA) gene in a Chinese family with two siblings affected with juvenile onset form glycogen storage disease Ⅱ(GSD Ⅱ) .Methods The clinical and family data of two siblings presenting recurrent respiratory tract infections ,respiratory failure associated with systemic muscle weakness ,were an‐alyzed and diagnosed with GSD Ⅱ by detecting alpha‐1 ,4‐glucosidase activity .DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of the proband ,younger brother and his parents .All 20 exons and the intron‐exon splice sites of GAA gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) .Mutations were detected by direct sequencing the PCR products .Results The younger brother was found to be compound heterozygous for two mutations in the GAA gene :c .1216G>A (p .Asp406Asn) missense mutation in the exon 8 from his father and c .1935C>A (p .Asp645Glu) missense mutation in the exon 14 from his mother .Conclusion The compound hetero‐zygous c .1216G>A and c .1935C>A mutations caused the juvenile onset form GSD Ⅱ characterized by dyspnea and cardiac hyper‐trophy .The novel c .1216G>A mutation may be related to the juvenile onset form GSD Ⅱ .

This study was aimed to investigate the mechanism of Jian-Pi Sheng-Xue (JPSX) granules on iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) rats.Low iron diet was given to establish IDA rat model.Rats were randomly divided into the model control group,normal control group,JPSX granules group,JPSX extract group and the ferrous sulfate group.The hematological indexes and serum ferritin were measured 10 days and 20 day after medication.The results showed that with iron supplements,the levels of hemoglobin (HGB),red blood cell (RBC),hematocrit (HCT) and serum ferritin of the JPSX granules group,JPSX extract group and the ferrous sulfate group were higher than those of the control group.The level of serum ferritin of the JPSX granules group was obviously higher than that of the JPSX extract group and the ferrous sulfate group (P < 0.01).It was concluded that compared with the control group,JPSX granules,JPSX extract and ferrous sulfate can improve symptoms of IDA in rats.And JPSX granules had the best effect.

Objective To study the relationship between the genetic polymorphisms of carboxylesterase 1 gene (CESI) and the susceptibility to antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity (ATBDIH).Methods Genetic polymorphisms of CES1 in 473 tuberculosis patients with or without hepatotoxicity (200∶ 273) after antituberculosis chemotherapy were analyzed by PCR-MassArray.Results In4 tags of CES1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP),the frequency of the rs1968753 allele had statistical difference between the hepatotoxicity group and the no-hepatotoxicity group ( P =0.0236 ).The characteristics of anti-hepatotoxicity had been shown relationship with rs8192950 ( P =0.044,OR =0.649,95％ CI =0.426-0.989,AC/AA ) and rs1968753 ( P =0.048,OR =0.556,95％ CI =0.311-0.995,GG/AA).The diplotypes with ‘ CGC' haplotype exhibited significant protection against hepatotoxicity at one copy (P=0.048,OR=0.654,95％CI=0.430-0.996).Conclusions The genetic polymorphisms of CESI might have significant association with ATBDIH.SNP rs8192950 AC genotype and rs1968753 GG genotype might be the candidates for risk prediction of ATBDIH.

Objective To study the correlation between genetic polymorphisms of interleukin (IL)-1A/1B and susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB).Methods Genetic polymorphisms of IL-1A and IL1 B in 1032 TB patients and 1008 non-TB patients were analyzed using PCR-MassARRAY method.The correlation between genetic polymorphisms of IL-1A/1B and susceptibility to TB was statistically analyzed.Results Two tag SNPs of IL-1A and three tag SNPs of IL-1B were screened for the study.There were differences in the allele frequencies of rs2853550 and rs3783526 between TB group and non-TB group (P=0.047and P =0.034,respectively).IL-1 B SNP1 rs2853550 (P =0.025,OR =1.302,95 ％ CI =1.034-1.640,TC vs.CC) was found to be highly associated with TB,while the other SNPs showed no significant correlations with TB.Furthermore,IL-1B SNP1 rs2853550 [P=0.019,OR=1.308,95％ CI=1.045-1.638 for (TC+TT) vs.CC] in the dominant model conferred significant risk for TB,but IL-1A SNP2 rs3783526 [P=0.000,OR=0.764,95％ CI =0.591-0.988 for GG vs.(AA+GA)] in the recessive model showed protective effects against TB.The haplotype ‘TG’ in the IL-1B block showed a higher risk for TB compared with the common ‘ CA’ haplotype (P=0.032,OR=1.265,95％ CI=1.020-1.567).The diplotypes containing ‘ GA’ haplotype in IL-1A block and ‘ TG’ haplotype in IL-1B block were major risk factors for TB (for onecopy,adjusted P=0.014,OR=1.403 and 95％ CI=1.072-1.836; adjusted P=0.013,OR=1.339 and 95％ CI=1.063-1.688,respectively),but the diplotype with ‘CG’ in IL-1B block played a protective effect against TB (for two-copy,P=0.006,OR=0.664 and95％ CI=0.494-0.891).Conclusion The genetic polymorphisms of IL-1B rs2853550 might be closely associated with TB,but the GG genotype of IL1 A SNP rs3783526 might have the characteristic of anti-TB.