This study was aimed to establish a stable animal model of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) to provide theoretical and experimental basis for understanding the development of LVH. The abdominal aorta of male Wistar rats (80-100 g) was constricted to a diameter of 0.55 mm between the branches of the celiac and anterior mesenteric arteries. Echocardiography using a linear phased array probe was performed as well as pathological examination and plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurement at 3, 4 and 6 weeks after abdominal aortic constriction (AAC). The results showed that the acute mortality rate (within 24 h) of this modified rat model was 8%. Animals who underwent AAC demonstrated significantly increased interventricular septal (IVS), LV posterior wall (LVPWd), LV mass index (LVMI), cross-sectional area (CSA) of myocytes, and perivascular fibrosis; the ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS), and cardiac output (CO) were consistently lower at each time point after AAC. Notably, differences in these parameters between AAC group and sham group were significant by 3 weeks and reached peaks at 4th week. Following AAC, the plasma BNP was gradually elevated compared with the sham group at 3rd and 6th week. It was concluded that this modified AAC model can develop LVH, both stably and safely, by week four post-surgery; echocardiography is able to assess changes in chamber dimensions and systolic properties accurately in rats with LVH.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between estrogen receptor beta gene (ER beta) polymorphism and unknown aetiology hypomenorrhea in Southwestern China .

METHODSOne hundred eumenorrhea women were chosen as control group and another 100 hypomenorrhea patients as case group from Southwestern China. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the Rsa I and Alu I in ER beta gene was analysed. The ER beta gene polymorphism genotype distribution in case group and control group was compared.

RESULTSR allele frequency in case and control groups was 37.5% and 48.5% respectively, the OR was 0.64 (95%CI: 0.42-0.97), P= 0.026. A allele frequency in case and control groups was 18.0% and 11.5% respectively, the OR was 1.69 (95%CI: 0.93-3.09), P= 0.07. RFLP of Rsa I and Alu I in both groups were distributed with polymorphism.

CONCLUSIONERbeta gene polymorphism has a relation with unknown aetiological hypomenorrhea. R allele may be the guard factor, and A allele may be its risk factor.

Adult ; Binding Sites ; genetics ; Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific ; metabolism ; Estrogen Receptor beta ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Menstruation Disturbances ; etiology ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the development and maturation competence of oocytes retrieved from cryopreserved and transplanted human fetal ovarian tissue by techniques of tissue culture, inducing ovary, oocyte retrieval, and in vitro maturation (IVM).

METHODSFetal ovaries of 20 weeks were frozen-thawed and cultured for 6 days in vitro, then xenografted into kidney capsules of immunodeficient mice. All mice were stimulated with follicle stimulating hormone every second day for 23 weeks, starting 1 week after grafting. Then oocytes were retrieved from antral follicles 13 hours after human chorionic gonadotrophin injection. IVM was performed to evaluate the maturation competence of the oocytes from ovarian grafts. Human fetal ovarian tissues were examined with histological and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) evaluation.

RESULTSThere was no difference between fresh ovarian tissues and frozen-thawed ovarian tissues in the percentage of follicles at different growth stages (P > 0.05). The proportion of the primary follicles and preantral follicles in the cultured ovarian tissues was significantly larger than that of fresh ovarian tissues and frozen-thawed ovarian tissues (P < 0.05). The proportion of the primary follicles, preantral follicles, and antral follicles in the transplanted ovarian tissues was significantly higher than that of cultured ovarian tissues, fresh ovarian tissues, and frozen-thawed ovarian tissues (P < 0.05). No significant signals of PCNA in the primordial follicles in all ovarian tissues were observed. PCNA immunoreactivity first appeared in primary follicles. However, the obviously positive signals of PCNA were seen in the oocytes and/or the granular cells of cultured ovarian tissues and transplanted ovarian tissues. Oocytes from antral follicles were collected and matured in vitro, and 21.43% of the oocytes reached to MII within 48 hours IVM.

CONCLUSIONSHuman ovarian follicles can survive and develop well after cryopreservation, tissue culture, and xenotransplantation. Furthermore, oocytes recovered from grafts have normal maturation competence.

Animals ; Cryopreservation ; Female ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Oocytes ; cytology ; Oogenesis ; Ovarian Follicle ; cytology ; growth & development ; transplantation ; Pregnancy ; Transplantation, Heterologous

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect of acupuncture for controlling the adverse response in gastroscopy.

METHODSNinety-seven cases of gastroscopy were randomly divided into an observation group of 52 cases and a control group of 45 cases. The observation group were treated by acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4), Neiguan (PC 6) and Zusanli (ST 36), in combined with oral administration of Lidocaine; the control group were treated by simple administration of Lidocaine. Changes of the adverse response, blood pressure and heart rate, and satisfactory degrees and the willing re-examination rate were investigated in the two groups. Results In the observation group, the nausea and vomiting, salivation, restlessness, breath holding and other adverse responses in gastroscopy were significantly decreased as compared with those in the control group (P < 0.01), and the blood pressure and heart rate were more stable than in the control group, and the satisfactory degree and willing re-examination rate were higher than the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture can effectively control the adverse response in gastroscopy.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Gastroscopy ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo establish a database and to understand the molecular epidemiological features of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates from different animal reservoirs and patients.

METHODSPulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed according to the PulseNet protocol with minor modifications. A dendrogram was constructed using the BioNumerics.

RESULTSUnder the PulseNet protocol, 62 PFGE patterns were obtained from 76 non-O157 STEC isolates and then divided into A to M groups. Isolates from different sources were widely distributed in different groups, but were predominant seen in certain groups.

CONCLUSIONThe non-O157 STEC isolates in China were highly polymorphic. PulseNet protocol seemed to be suitable for the typing of Chinese non-O157 STEC isolates.

Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Bacterial ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Escherichia coli Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Escherichia coli O157 ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Feces ; microbiology ; Genotype ; Humans ; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli

Objective To examine the association between pregnancy-induced hypertension(PIH) and small-for-gestational-age babies(SGA)in a Chinese population.Methods Subjects were women who delivered a singleton baby(gestational weeks:equal to or greater than 28,and less than 42)in four cities or counties in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces,China,during the period of 1995-2000.A total number of 93 743 women were included.Incidence of SGA was calculated and compared between women with or without PIH and between groups with different severities of PIH.Multiple logistic regression was used to address the relationship between PIH and SGA while controlling for maternal age,occupation,education,parity,BMI,anemia,premature rupture of membranes and fetal sex.The association between PIH and SGA was also examined according to preterm or term delivery.Results The incidence of SGA in women with PIH(6.0%)was higher than women without(4.5%),and the incidence increased with severities of PIH.The adjusted relative risk rates(95%CI)of SGA in women with mild,moderate and severe PIH were 1.17(1.01-1.34),1.69(1.33-2.14),and 3.50(2.57-4.77),respectively,when confounders were controlled for.The risk ratios of SGA in women with PIH among women who delivered a preterm baby wete higher than those among women who delivered a term baby.Conclusion There seemed a statistical association between PIH and SGA,and women with PIH having higher incidence of SGA than those withont PIH.

OBJECTIVEThis article reports a population genetic study on six short tandem repeat(STR) loci, D7S820, D19S253, D12S391, D5S818, D16S539 and D8S1179, in a sample of unrelated Chinese Han individuals(n=122-173) living in Hebei province.

METHODSDNA extraction from blood samples (200 in number) and multiplex amplification of the above six loci were carried out. Using denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver stain, the authors investigated the distribution of allele frequencies of the six loci in Han population in Hebei province.

RESULTSThe STR polymorphisms at all of the six loci were observed in Chinese Han population in Hebei province. The observed heterozygosities of D7S820, D19S253, D12S391, D5S818, D16S539 and D8S1179 were 0.828, 0.757, 0.769, 0.837, 0.785 and 0.852, respectively. The measured values of the power of discrimination (PD) were 0.914, 0.919, 0.940, 0.909, 0.917, 0.944; of the mean exclusion chance(MEC) 0.618, 0.740, 0.801, 0.557, 0.655, 0.696 and of the polymorphism information content (PIC) in Chinese 0.771, 0.760, 0.762, 0.708, 0.776 and 0.794, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe genotype distributions of the six STR were in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The numerical values of the PD and MEC are relatively high in Hebei province, and thus can be of significant application in population genetics and forensic medicine.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; ethnology ; DNA ; analysis ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Population Groups ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; genetics ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo perform mutation analysis and describe the genotype of the SMN gene in a patient with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and his family.

METHODSDeletion analysis of the SMN1 exon 7 by conventional PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and allele-specific PCR, and gene dosage of SMN1 and SMN2 by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were performed for the patient and his parents; reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and sequencing were performed for the patient. To determine whether the SMN variant was exclusive to transcripts derived from SMN1, the RT-PCR product of the patient was subcloned and multiple clones were sequenced directly; PCR of SMN exon 5 from the genomic DNA of the parents and direct sequencing were performed to confirm the mutation.

RESULTSIn SMN1 exon 7 deletion analysis, no homozygous deletion of the SMN1 was observed in the family; the gene dosage analysis by MLPA showed that the patient had 1 copy of SMN1 and 1 copy of SMN2 his father had 2 copies of SMN1 and 2 copies of SMN2, and his mother had 1 copy of SMN1 and no SMN2. A previously unreported missense mutation of S230L was identified from the patient and this mutation was also found in his father.

CONCLUSIONA novel missense mutation of S230L was identified in the SMA family and the genotype of the family members were investigated.

Base Sequence ; Child, Preschool ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Exons ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; SMN Complex Proteins ; genetics ; Spinal Muscular Atrophies of Childhood ; genetics ; Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein ; genetics ; snRNP Core Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo perform molecular diagnosis for a Chinese pedigree with osteogenesis imperfecta type I.

METHODSThirty pairs of primers were designed to amplify all the 52 exons, exon boundaries and promoter region of the COL1A1 gene from genomic DNA of peripheral blood cells of the family members. The PCR products were purified and directly sequenced. To check the mutation in normal controls, the genomic DNA from peripheral blood cells of the index patient, his mother and 60 normal controls were analyzed by amplification refractory mutation system.

RESULTSA missense mutation of GAT>CAT was identified at codon 1441 of the COL1A1 gene from the family, which resulted in the replacement of aspartic acid by histidine (D1441H). This mutation was not found in a group of 60 normal controls.

CONCLUSIONThe method for molecular diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta was established and a novel COL1A1 gene mutation, D1441H, was identified in the Chinese pedigree with osteogenesis imperfecta type I.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; China ; Collagen Type I ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Osteogenesis Imperfecta ; diagnosis ; genetics ; pathology ; Pedigree ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVEUsing pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) typing to analyze strains isolated from two outbreaks caused by Shigella sonnei and to trace the source of infection.

METHODSVirulence genes ipaH and ial were detected by PCR and PFGE was used to subtype the isolates. Patterns were compared, using the software BioNumerics.

RESULTSWithin the 54 isolates, all were ipaH positive with 48 as ial positive. Strains from the Chongzhou outbreak were clustered into 4 PFGE patterns, with the predominant pattern accounted for 72% of the analyzed strains. The pattern of strains isolated from the cold pork with sauce was identical to the predominant pattern. The strains from Dayi outbreak were clustered into 8 PFGE patterns and the predominant pattern accounted for 56% of the test strains.

CONCLUSIONStrains from the two outbreaks were quite different and the 'cold pork with sauce' seemed to be the major source of infection, causing the outbreak of diarrhea in Chongzhou. The sources of infection of the Dayi outbreak might be complicated whereas PFGE showed a discriminatory and reproducible laboratory tool in the epidemiologic investigation on outbreaks of diarrhea.

Bacteriophage Typing ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Dysentery, Bacillary ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Food Microbiology ; Foodborne Diseases ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Humans ; Shigella ; classification ; isolation & purification