The five-flavor theory of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and the flavor efficacy generation mechanism has long been focuses and difficulties in studies on traditional Chinese medicinal properties. In this paper, by using the pharmacophore-based virtual screening technique, the authors discussed the relations between the pungent property and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) by studying the TCM components' role in regulating TRPV1 ion channel. The results showed that the matching relationship between TRPV1 agonist pharmacophore model and TCM chemical components could identify the active ingredients from pungent herbs. Therefore, the authors proposed that TRPV1 is one of the potential targets for efficient pungent herbs. The pungent property of TCMs is decided by its chemical components, and consistent with the inherited and additive characteristics.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Smell ; TRPV Cation Channels ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Taste

Objective To examine the difference of neurological soft signs (NSS) among the remittent schizophrenia patients,first-degree non-psychotic relatives of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls.Methods The Cambridge Neurological Inventory (CNI) (the Chinese version) was administered to 86 remittent schizophrenia patients (patient group),86 first-degree non-psychotic relatives of schizophrenia patients (relative group) and 86 healthy controls (control group).Results Compared with relative group,NSS total-score,the subscore of motor coordination and sensory integration were significantly higher in patient group (P＜0.01).Compared with control group,NSS total-score,the subscore of motor coordination and sensory integration were significantly higher in patient group (P＜0.01).Compared with control group,NSS total-score and the subscore of motor coordination were significantly higher in relative group (P＜0.01).Conclusions The levels of NSS in remittent schizophrenia patients and their first-degree non-psychotic relatives are higher than normal control,and the patients have more NSS than their relatives.The motor coordination nay be a potential endophenotype for schizophrenia.

The 125 strains of the symbiotic and epiphyte microorganisms were isolated from marine organisms (Sea cucumber, Sea urchin, Sea anemone, Sea actinia, Ulra, Sargassum, Undaria). Among them,21 strains of bacteria,8 strains of actinomycetes and 2 strains of fungi have shown to have antagonistic activity on bacterial or fungal growth. In the 21 strains of bacteria, 7 strains belong to Bacillus sp., 11 strains belong to Vibro sp., and 3 strains belong to Pseudomonas sp.. In the 8 strains of actinomycetes, 5 strains belong to Streptomyces sp., 3 strains belong to Micromonospora sp.. 2 strains of fungi belong to Penicillum sp..

OBJECTIVETo determine the physiological role of D-bifunctional protein (DBP) in bile acid biosynthesis through investigating the effect of increasing activity of DBP on bile acid biosynthesis.

METHODSTwenty male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) group (n = 10) and control group (n = 10). Serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, hepatic DBP activity, and fecal bile acids were assayed. The mRNA levels of hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha), DBP, and cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) were detected by RT-PCR.

RESULTSCompared with control group, serum triglyceride level was decreased significantly and PPARalphamRNA level was increased significantly in DEHP group (P < 0.01). Together with a sharp induction of DBP mRNA expression and DBP activity in DEHP group (P < 0.01), the levels of CYP7A1 mRNA and fecal bile acids were significantly increased by 1.9 times and 1.6 times respectively compared to control group (P < 0.01). There was a significantly positive correlation between DBP mRNA level or DBP activity and CYP7A1 mRNA level (r = 0.89, P < 0.01; r = 0.95, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe up-regulation of DBP mRNA and activity in liver can result in the increase in CYP7A1 mRNA expression and bile acid biosynthesis, suggesting that DBP may be involved in bile acid biosynthesis together with CYP7A1.

17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases ; metabolism ; Animals ; Bile Acids and Salts ; biosynthesis ; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase ; analysis ; Enoyl-CoA Hydratase ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Multienzyme Complexes ; metabolism ; PPAR alpha ; analysis ; Peroxisomal Multifunctional Protein-2 ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective:To reveal the abnormal topology of brain network in Alzheimer′s disease (AD), and evaluate the laterality of tau protein deposition in brains of AD patients based on 18F-APN-1607 PET brain imaging combined with graph theory. Methods:From November 2018 to January 2020, 23 clinically diagnosed AD patients (9 males, 14 females; age (61.3±10.7) years) and 13 normal controls (NC) (9 males, 4 females; age (61.6±4.5) years) who underwent 18F-APN-1607 PET imaging in Huashan Hospital, Fudan University were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. The brain network analysis method based on graph theory was used to construct the tau network of the NC group and the AD group, the network attributes (clustering coefficient, shortest path length, local efficiency, and small-worldness) were calculated, and the asymmetry index (AI) of each group to evaluate the laterality of tau protein deposition was obtained. Permutation test (1 000 times) was used to analyze the differences in brain network parameters between the NC group and the AD group. Results:The tau network of the AD group had obvious topological disorder, and the connections in the olfactory cortex and temporal lobe were weakened, while in the posterior cingulate gyrus, anterior wedge, and parietal occipital lobe, the connections were enhanced. Compared with NC group, clustering coefficient ( t values: 2.28-2.69), local efficiency ( t values: 2.34-3.06) and small-worldness ( t values: 2.26-3.32) were significantly decreased in AD group (all P<0.05) with the sparsity of 20%-50%, while the shortest path length was significantly increased ( t values: 2.13-2.85; all P<0.05). There was significant tau laterality in the posterior cingulate gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, paracentral lobule, superior temporal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus (AI: 10.5%(8.1%, 13.9%), 14.1%(7.6%, 20.3%), -12.4%(-15.7%, -7.8%), -10.8%(-15.3%, -2.1%) , -12.1%(-17.9%, -6.6%), respectively). Conclusion:The tau network analysis based on 18F-APN-1607 may be used to reveal abnormal topological changes of AD patients, and the tau deposition in the posterior cingulate gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, paracentral lobule, superior temporal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus has obvious laterality in AD patients.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of cardiac involvement in children with mitochondriopathies.Methods The clinical data of 23 children with mitochondriopathies were reviewed.The changes of electrocardiography,echocardiography and heart enzymes were analyzed.Results In 15 cases of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy,lactic acidosis,and stroke-like episode(MELAS syndrome),electrocardiography was performed on 9 cases,6 of them showed abnormal electrocardiographic findings,including right bundle branch block,ST-T change,Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome,et al.On echocardiographic examination in 9 MELAS syndrome ca-ses,only 1 case showed hypertrophy cardiomyopathy.Six cases had increased plasma creatine kinaseMB(CK-MB) mass and only one of 12 MELAS syndrome cases had increased cardiac troponin I(cTnI) level.In 8 cases of subacute necrotizing encephalomyopathy(Leigh syndrome),electrocardiography was performed on 5 cases,4 of them showed abnormal electrocardiographic findings,including sinus tachycardia,ST-T change and low voltage.Two cases showed normal electrocardiography.Three out of 6 cases with Leigh syndrome showed increased plasma CK-MB mass.The molecular genetic examinations were performed in 13 cases of MELAS syndrome and 6 cases of Leigh syndrome.The mitochondrial DNA nt 3243 A→G mutation was found in white blood cells of 9 MELAS syndrome cases,the mutation rate being 37%-60%.The mitochondrial DNA nt 8993 T→C mutation was found in white blood cells of 2 Leigh syndrome cases.Conclusion In children with mitochondriopathies,myocardiac involvement is comparatively common,and even cardiomyopathy can occur.

Humans ; Leptin ; blood ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; etiology ; metabolism ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; complications ; Male ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Animals ; Fatty Liver ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; genetics ; metabolism ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of percutaneous microwave ablation (PMA) and surgical resection for patients with small primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) on dissemination of tumor cells in peripheral blood determined by AFP mRNA.

METHODSForty patients with small PHC (The maximal diameter < or = 5 cm) confirmed histologically were included in this study. All the patients had single tumor nodule only without metastasis. Of the 40 patients, 19 were treated by PMA and 21 by surgical resection. Blood samples were collected and tested immediately before treatment, 30 min after the mass ablated/resected, 1 d and 7 d later by RTD-Nested-RT-PCR for AFP mRNA. The CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD4/CD8 in blood, and hepatic function were tested at the same time points as well.

RESULTSAfter treatment, ALT and AST in peripheral blood increased in both groups, but more intensely in the surgical group. The CD3, CD4 and CD4/CD8 in peripheral blood decreased at 30 min, 1 day and 7 days after surgical resection, and the lowest value was at 30 min after surgery. The immune function was kept at the same level as pre-treatment in the PMA group. AFP mRNA copies in blood could be detected in 27 of 40 patients (67.5%) in two groups before treatment, and the copy number was increased after treatment. There was no significant difference between the two groups. The patients were followed up for 1 - 16 months. AFP mRNA copies in blood could be detected persistently in the 4 patients with extrahepatic metastasis or liver recurrence.

CONCLUSIONSurgical resection and microwave ablation may cause PHC cells dissemination into the blood circulation in patients with small PHC, and there was no difference between the two treatment groups. The cellular immune function in peripheral blood is decreased after surgical resection, but is maintained at the same level as pre-treatment in the PMA group. The impairment of liver function is less severe after PMA treatment than surgical resection. PMA may provide certain value for clinical management of small hepatocellular carcinoma.

Adult ; Aged ; CD3 Complex ; blood ; CD4 Antigens ; blood ; CD4-CD8 Ratio ; CD8 Antigens ; blood ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; surgery ; therapy ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; surgery ; therapy ; Male ; Microwaves ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics

In order to construct RGD-mSAK mutant with reduced immunogenicity, and identify its biological activity after purification, mSAK gene fragment was amplified by over-lapping extension PCR. Then the gene was inserted into the prokaryotic expression vector pBV220 with P(R)P(L) promoters after confirmed by DNA sequencing; the expression plasmid pBV220-RGD-mSAK was constructed, and then was transformed into E. coli. DH5alpha. After temperature induction, the mutant Staphylokinase was over-expressed and much of protein was in the supernate of lysate, which is over 50% of total protein in the host. The protein was isolated and purified in Q-Sepharose FF, Sephacryl S-200 and SP, high purity protein was obtained and its purity was over 98%. The thrombolysis activity of the RGD-mSAK protein is 1.68 x 10(5) u/mg by fibrin plate assay, which is slightly higher than that of the wild-type, and antiserum titers raised against this protein in guinea pigs were much lower than those of wild-type SAK, determined by ELISA. In anti-platelets aggregation assay in vitro, the RGD-mSAK protein has obvious inhibition activity of platelet aggregation in low concentration comparing to the control group and wild-type SAK group. So the RGD-mSAK protein is a low immunogenicity, bi-function molecular with both thrombolysis activity and anti-embolism activity. It provided the basis for further research of RGD-SAK.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Guinea Pigs ; Metalloendopeptidases ; biosynthesis ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Oligopeptides ; metabolism ; Platelet Aggregation ; drug effects ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Protein Engineering ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; isolation & purification