Ascoviruses, iridoviruses, asfarviruses and poxviruses are all cytoplasmic DNA viruses. The evolutionary origins of cytoplasmic DNA viruses have never been fully addressed. Morphological, genetic and molecular data were used to test if all four cytoplasmic virus families (Ascoviridae, Iridoviridae, Asfarviridae, and Poxvirirdae) evolved from nuclear replicating baculoviruses and how the four virus groups are related. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using DNA polymerase predicted that cytoplasmic DNA viruses might have evolved from nuclear replicating baculoviruses, and that poxviruses and asfarviruses share a common ancestor with iridoviruses. These three cytoplasmic viruses again shared a common ancestor with ascoviruses. Morphological and genetic data predicted the same evolutionary trend as molecular data predicted. A genome sequence comparison showed that ascoviruses have more baculovirus protein homologues than do iridoviruses, which suggested that ascoviruses have evolved from baculoviruses and iridoviruses evolved from ascoviruses. Poxviruses showed genetic and morphological similarity to other cytoplamic viruses, such as ascoviruses, suggesting it has undergone reticulate evolution via hybridization, recombination and lateral gene transfer with other viruses. Within the ascovirus family, we tested if molecular phylogenetic analyses agree with biological inference; that is, ascovirus had an evolutionary trend of increasing genome size, expanding host range and widening tissue tropism for these viruses. Both molecular and biological data predicted this evolutionary trend. The phylogenetic relationship among the four species of ascovirus was predicted to be that TnAV-2 and HvAV-3 shared a common ancestor with SfAV-1 and the three virus species again shared a common ancestor with DpAV-4.

AIM: To investigate the effect of Z,E-butylidedephthalide (Bdph) on laser-induced experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in rat model and choroid blood flow in rabbits'eyes.METHODS: Male Brown Norway rats were treated with Nd:YAG laser to break Bruch's membrane. Thirty mg/kg and 15 mg/kg Bdph were given daily through intraperitoneal injection for 4 weeks after laser treatment. Fluorescein angiography (FA) and choroidal flat mount were used to measure the development of CNV. Female New Zealand white rabbits' eyes were instilled with 10g/L Z,E-butylidenephthalide solution,and ocular blood flow was measured with colored microsphere technique. RESULTS: The intensity of fluorescein leakage, indicating the ocular lesion, decreased significantly in group Bdph 30mg/kg and 15mg/kg, as compared to the control at P＜0.01.The area of neovascularization checked by FA in both groups of Bdph, at 30mg/kg and 15mg/kg decreased significantly compared to the control group at P＜0.05. On the choroid flat mount, the areas of CNV were also smaller in both Bdph groups than in control group. One percent Z,E-butylidenephthalide solution instilled into rabbits' eyes could improve the choroid blood flow at 30 and 60 minutes after drug instillation (P＜0.05).CONCLUSION: Z,E-butylidedephthalide could inhibit the development of CNV in the rat eyes and increase the choroid blood flow in the rabbit eyes. These results suggest that Z,E-butylidedephthalide may be a good agent for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration(ARMD).

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux ; diagnosis ; therapy

Normal rhythm in a healthy human heart originates from the natural biological pacemaker, the sinoatrial (SA) node which locates in the right atrium. SA node dysfunction or atrial-ventricular (AV) conduction block causes improper heart rate (bradycardia). Such dysfunction, if severe enough, is currently treated by implanting an electronic pacemaker which has been well established technically, but there are some limitations and inadequacies. Recently, progress in developing engineered cardiac biopacemakers with use of genes or cells has been made in experimental animal models. The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide-modulated (HCN) channel (pacemaker channel) modulates cardiac automaticity via the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (I(f)). HCN genes have been delivered to animal myocardium via viral vectors or HCN-transferred cells for recreating biological pacemakers. Approaches with non-HCN genes or transplantation of beating cells are also novel and have been investigated for generating cardiac biopacers. This article summarizes the progresses in research on recreation of cardiac biopacemakers. Genetically engineered biological pacemaker holds great promise to potentially cure severe bradycardia if critical issues, such as their stability and longevity, are properly solved.
Biological Clocks ; physiology ; Bradycardia ; therapy ; Genetic Engineering ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Ion Channels ; Myocardium ; Pacemaker, Artificial ; Sinoatrial Node

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether green tea consumption can reduce the risk of adult leukemia.

METHODSA hospital-based matched case-control study was conducted in 2005 - 2006. We recruited 107 confirmed leukemia cases and 110 inpatient controls with orthopedic disease without leukemia or other malignancy matched on gender, age and hospitals that patients stayed. Related information were gathered on quantity, duration and frequency of tea consumption, demographic characteristics, exposure to radiation and occupational hazards, medications, using a validated questionnaire by face-to-face interview. Univariate and multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with SPSS 11.5 software.

RESULTSCompared with non-tea-drinkers, the OR of those who consumed green tea was 0.58 (95% CI:0.34-1.00, P< 0.05) under univariate statistical analysis. The OR was 0.52 ( 95% CI: 0.28- 0.98, P = 0.04), using logistic regression to count for age, gender, residential area, smoking, level of education, exposure to radiation, benzene and organo-phosphorus. Compared with non-drinkers, the risk of adult leukemia declined with increasing quantity, duration, and frequency of green tea consumption. Tests for trend on dose-response was statistically significant (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONA higher consumption of green tea seemed to be associated with a declined risk of adult leukemia. Tea consumption might be of help to human health planning projects.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Leukemia ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tea

BACKGROUNDMany patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have complicated with hypertension and may be prescribed with antihypertension medications to control their blood pressure. But whether antihypertension medications can also decrease arterial stiffness or control the blood pressure increasing following obstructive events is not well described. This study aimed to investigate whether antihypertensive medications can ameliorate the changes in arterial stiffness and blood pressure associated with OSA.

METHODSSixty-one OSAS patients [13 women, 48 men, mean age (53.4 +/- 12.3) years], 26 normotensive patients (N), 7 hypertensive patients on no antihypertension medications (H), and 28 hypertensive patients on various combination antihypertension therapy (HM), were prospectively diagnosed with standard nocturnal polysomnography. Beat-to-beat blood pressure was continuously recorded from the radial artery by applanation tonometry during baseline sleep. As a measure of arterial stiffness, arterial augmentation index (AAI) was calculated as the ratio of augmented systolic blood pressure (SBP) to pulse pressure and expressed as a percentage for the following conditions: awakening, the first 10 ("early apnea") and last 10 ("late apnea") cardiac cycles of obstructive events (apnea or hypopnea), and the first 15 cardiac cycles following event termination ("post apnea") for all events with nadir O2 saturation

RESULTSSystolic blood pressure (SBP) post-apnea [(142.74 +/- 13.06) mmHg (N), (137.06 +/- 26.56) mmHg (H), (136.94 +/- 14.1) mmHg (HM)] was significantly increased from awakening [(135.76 +/- 14.76) mmHg (N), (135.58 +/- 23.17) mmHg (H), (129.77 +/- 14.00) mmHg (HM)], early apnea [(130.53 +/- 12.65) mmHg (N), (124.47 +/- 24.97) mmHg (H), (126.04 +/- 13.12) mmHg (HM)], and late apnea [(129.8 +/- 12.68) mmHg (N), (124.78 +/- 25.15) mmHg (H), (124.48 +/- 13.82) mmHg (HM)] respectively (P < 0.001, repeated measures ANOVA). AAI was significantly increased for the N group (P < 0.001) from awakening to late apnea [(10.45 +/- 2.62)% vs (14.43 +/- 3.21)%] and from early apnea to late apnea [(10.61 +/- 2.34)% vs (14.43 +/- 3.21)%], and also for H group (P < 0.05) from awakening to late apnea [(11.23 +/- 3.87)% vs (16.32 +/- 8.02)%] and from early apnea to late apnea [(11.75 +/- 3.79)% vs (16.32 +/- 8.02)%]. Meanwhile, no significant differences in AAI among awakening, early apnea, late apnea, and post-apnea conditions were found in HM group.

CONCLUSIONSThe current data demonstrate that systemic blood pressure increases significantly during the post-apneic phase of OSAS, compared with that during awakening and intra-apnea phases even with the use of combined antihypertensive therapy which could normalize BP during awakening in the hypertensive patients. However, increases in arterial stiffness during obstructive events could be ameliorated by combined antihypertension medications.

Adult ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Arteries ; drug effects ; physiology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Regression Analysis ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate diagnostic values of the detection of TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion in metastatic prostate cancer.

METHODSA total of 32 fine needle aspiration (FNA) specimens of metastatic prostate carcinomas were retrieved from the pathology files at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The metastatic sites included the pelvic and remote lymph nodes, liver, bone, and thyroid gland. Immunohistochemical staining for PSA, PAP, synaptophysin, chromogranin A was performed. TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion was evaluated on sections of cell blocks by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using ERG gene break-apart probes.

RESULTSThe mean age of the patients was 67 years. Twenty-six patients had a previous history of prostatic adenocarcinoma, while 6 patients presented initially with metastasis. In 11 patients, the metastatic lesions showed characteristic features of small cell carcinoma (SCC) and were positive for synaptophysin (9/9), chromogranin A (7/8), but negative for prostatic specific antigen (7/7). FISH analysis demonstrated a rearrangement of ERG gene in 10 of 32 cases (31.3%), and the rearrangement was associated with deletion of the 5' ERG gene in 6 cases. In addition, the copy number of ERG rearrangement gene locus was increased in 8 cases. Among the 11 cases with SCC features, a rearrangement of ERG gene was present in 5 cases, of which a deletion of the 5' ERG gene and increased copy number were seen in 3 cases.

CONCLUSIONSTMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion can be evaluated in FNA specimens of metastatic prostate cancer. Metastatic prostate cancers have a high prevalence of TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion along with a frequent copy number increase of ERG gene. TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion persists in metastatic prostate cancers and even in those with poorly differentiated SCC features. Therefore, an identification of the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion may be used to establish the prostatic origin of metastasis.

Acid Phosphatase ; Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Chromogranin A ; metabolism ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gene Fusion ; Gene Rearrangement ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases ; metabolism ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism

Animals ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Thalidomide ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

PURPOSEEarly intramedullary nailing (IMN) within the first 24 h for multiply injured patients with femoral fracture and concomitant thoracic trauma is controversial. Previously published studies have been limited in size and their outcomes have been inconclusive. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the available data in order to guide care and help improve the outcomes for these patients.

METHODSWe searched the literature up to December 2011 in the main medical search engines and identified 6 retrospective cohort studies that explored the safety of early IMN in patients with both femoral fracture and chest injury. Our primary outcome was the rates of pulmonary complication (pneumonia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, fat embolism syndrome), multiple organ failure (MOF) and mortality.

RESULTSWe found no statistically significant difference in the rate of pulmonary complications, MOF or mortality in the patients treated with early IMN.

CONCLUSIONEarly IMN for femoral fractures does not increase the mortality and morbidity in chest- injured patients in the studies analyzed.

Femoral Fractures ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; adverse effects ; methods ; mortality ; Humans ; Multiple Organ Failure ; epidemiology ; Pneumonia ; epidemiology ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; epidemiology ; Thoracic Injuries ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels and the gene polymorphisms of N5, N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

METHODSPlasma Hcy levels were measured by means of high voltage capillary electrophoresis with ultra-violet detection, the polymorphisms of C677T in exon 4 of MTHFR gene and 844ins68 in exon 8 of CBS gene were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 105 AD patients and 102 non-AD controls. All controls were excluded from cardiocerebrovascular disorders and other diseases.

RESULTSThe plasma Hcy level in AD patients (16.04 +/- 3.84 micromol/L) was significantly higher than that in the controls (11.94 +/- 3.87 micromol/L, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences of the genotype and allele frequencies of MTHFR C677T mutation and CBS 844ins68 mutation between the patients and controls. However, the T allele of MTHFR gene was found to relate with the plasma Hcy level increase in all subjects.

CONCLUSIONThe elevated plasma Hcy level in AD patients is probably involved in the pathogenesis of AD, which may be due to the environmental factor rather than genetic factors of the mutations of MTHFR and CBS.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alzheimer Disease ; enzymology ; genetics ; Cystathionine beta-Synthase ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length