OBJECTIVE: Investigate common deafness gene mutations in patients with severe and profound non-syndromic hearing loss in Liaoning in order to understand their hereditary etiologies and characteristics at the molecular level. METHOD: Peripheral blood samples were obtained and the DNA templates were extracted from 128 non-syndromic hearing loss patients who are sporadic in clinics. The deafness gene chip was applied to detect hot-spot deafness gene mutations including GJB2, GJB3, SLC26A4 and mitochondrial 12S rRNA. Deafness etiology questionnaires, pure tone audiometry, auditory brainstem response, tympanometry and temporal bone CT were also applied. RESULT: Various types of gene locus mutations were seen in 52 of the 128 patients (40.6%); (1) GJB2 gene mutations (n=22) included c. 235 del C homozygous mutation (n=10), c. 235 del C heterozygous mutation (n=5); c. 176_191 del 16 heterozygous mutation (n=l); c 35 del G heterozygous mutation (n=l); c. 235 del C/c. 299_300 del AT mutation (n=l), c. 235 del C/c. 176_191 del 16 mutation (n=l), c. 35 del G/c. 176_191 del 16 mutation (n=l); c. 299_300 del AT/c. 919-2 A>G mutation (n=l), c. 235 del C/c. 919-2 A>G mutation (n=l). (2) SLC26A4 gene mutations (n=30) included c. 919-2 A>G homozygous mutation (n=6), c. 919-2 A>G heterozygous mutation (n=17), c. 2168 A>G homozygous mutation (n=l), c. 2168 A>G heterozygous mutation (n=2), c. 2168 A>G/c. 919-2 A>G mutation (n=2), c. 919-2 A>G/GJB2 c. 235 del C mutation (n=2); (3) No GJB3 and mitochondrial 12S rRNA mutation. Genetic deafness was confirmed at the gene level in 24 cases (18.8%) and 28 patients (21.9%) were diagnosed as carriers of genetic deafness gene mutations. CONCLUSION Genetic deafness occupies a large population in deaf community in Liaoning. Molecular genetic screening for these mutations and genetic counseling are effective methods to prevent the occurrence of hereditary hearing loss and provide theoretical guidance.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Connexins ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Deafness ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mutation

Humans ; Infant ; Lead Poisoning, Nervous System, Childhood ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Male

AIMTo study the enhancing effect of electroporation and iontophoresis on the permeation of insulin through human cadaver skin in vitro.

METHODSUsing side by side two-chamber diffusion cells, the flux of insulin achieved with iontophoresis and electrophoration were compared.

RESULTSThe application of high-voltage pulse combined with iontophoresis resulted in higher flux transdermal permeation of insulin than either one technique alone (P < 0.05). Pulsing at a higher voltage increased the flux of insulin more dramatically than pulsing at a lower voltage (P < 0.01). The transdermal transport of insulin by 90 pulse of 500 V (exponential pulse generater, pulse time: 20-24 ms, pulse frequency: 3 pulse.min-1) followed by iontophoresis led to a quick input and a high steady flux.

CONCLUSIONElectroporation combined with iontophoresis can enhance the permeation of insulin significantly.

Electroporation ; methods ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Insulin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Iontophoresis ; methods ; Permeability ; Skin ; metabolism ; Skin Absorption

Animals ; Male ; Particle Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; chemically induced ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; toxicity

A PubMed search is carried out using the keyword "acupuncture" from in the top four journals: New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), The Lancet, and British Medical Journal (BMJ). The papers with full texts on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture are included up till July 2009, and the corresponding trial design and trial quality in these papers are extracted and analyzed. The results reveal that papers published in these four journals are mostly on randomized controlled trials with good design, high quality and large sample size. Therefore, if Chinese researchers publish papers in these journals, appropriate trial design adhering to the characteristics of acupuncture should be used; the results should be reported according to CONSORT statement and STRICTA recommendations. Moreover, obtaining assistance from foreign research team is also important.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Humans ; Periodicals as Topic ; PubMed ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Research Design

BACKGROUND: The dynamic changes of pneumocyte apoptosis and aspartate-specific cysteine proteases-3 (caspase-3) expression in lung tissue of rats during the process of lung ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and the possible action mechanisms remain unclear.OBJECTIVE: This study was to observe the dynamic changes of pneumocyte apoptosis and caspase-3 expression in the rat lung tissue during the process of lung I/R injury, and to analyze the role of pneumocyte apoptosis and the possible action mechanism.DESIGN: A randomized controlled animal experiment.SETTING: Emergency Center, First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University.MATERIALS: This study was carried out in the Animal Laboratory of the First Hospital of Nanjing Medcial University and Nanjing Center for Radioimmunity between April 2006 and September 2006. Twenty-eight male healthy SD rats of clean grade, with body weight of 250 to 350 g, aged 49 to 76 days, were provided by the Experimental Animal Center of Nanjing Medical University. The involved rats were randomized into experimental group and control group, with 14 rats in each.METHODS: ①Experimental intervention: Rats in the experimental group were created into models of lung I/R injury according to the method of Eppinger et al. They were occluded for 45 minutes at the porta of lung (no systolic and diastolic reactions in lung tissue being considered as successful occlusion), and then they were reperfused (recovery of systolic and diastolic function being considered as successful reperfusion); After that, lung tissues were harvested at 3 and 6 hours after lung I/R injury, 7 rats at each time point. Each rat in the control group was subjected to a thoracotony only, but lung tissues were isolated at the same time point by the same method. ②Experimental evaluation: Apoptotic cells in the lung tissue were detected with a flow cytometer by Annexin-V-PI staining, and apoptosis rate was calculated. Caspase-3 expression in the lung tissue was observed by immunohistochemical method and image analysis. Wet to dry weight ratio(W/D) of lung tissue of rats in the two groups was calculated; the number of injured pulmonary alveoli at I/R 3 hours/that at I/R 6 hours was calculated for quantitative evaluation of injured lung tissue; Patho-morphological changes of lung tissue were observed by haematoxylin & eosin staining under an optical microscope.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ①Pneumocyte apoptosis rate and caspase-3 expression in the lung tissue. ②W/D of lung tissue and quantitative evaluation of injured lung tissue. ③Patho-morphological changes of lung tissue.RESULTS: Twenty-eight rats were involved in the final analysis, without deletion. ①Pneumocyte apoptosis rates in the experimental group at I/R 3 and 6 hours were significantly increased as compared with control group (P＜0.01). In the experimental group, pneumocyte apoptosis rate was decreased a little at I/R 6 hours than at I/R 3 hours (P＜0.05). ②Caspase-3 expression in the lung tissue of rats of experimental group reached its top at I/R 3 hours, and was decreased a little at I/R 6 hours. At each time point, caspase-3 expression in the experimental group was increased as compared with control group (P＜0.01). ③In the experimental group, the number of injured pulmonary alveoli at I/R 3 hours/that at I/R 6 hours and W/D ratios of lung tissues were significantly increased as compared with control group (P＜0.01). In the experimental group, two ratios at I/R 6 hours were higher than those at I/R 3 hours (P＜0.05).④In the experimental group, the structure of pulmonary alveoli was destructed, collapsed and disappeared; lots of inflammatory cell infiltration was found; Patho-morphological changes of injured lung tissue at I/R 6 hours were severer than those at I/R 3 hours. No obvious changes were found in the control group.CONCLUSION: At the early stage of lung I/R injury, the alteration of caspase-3 maybe activate pneumocyte apoptosis and induce the apoptosis of lung tissue, and thereby leads to lung injury.

Objective To explore the effect of in utero exposure to inlfammation on innate immune response in preterm infants. Methods Forty-seven premature infants with gestational age<35 weeks were recruited in this study. According to his-tological evidence of placental infection, all neonates were divided into intrauterine inlfammation positive group and negative group. Mononuclear cells and monocytes were isolated from umbilical cord blood, and were cultured in vitro in the presence or absence of LPS (100 ng/ml). The levels of interleukin 1β(IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in cord blood plasma and monocyte cultural supernatants were measured by ELISA respectively. The level of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 mRNA were detected by Real-time PCR. Expression of HLA-DR on surface of CD14+monocytes and ratio of CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+T was analyzed by lfow cytometry. Results (1) The level of cord plasma IL-6 in intrauterine inlfammation positive group was signiifcantly higher than in negative group. (P=0.02). (2) After stimulation of LPS, levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10 in supernatants were increased signiifcantly, in consistence with their mRNA expression (P<0.05) in both groups. (3) Expression of HLA-DR on surface of monocytes was signiifcantly decreased after stimulation with LPS in intrauterine inlfammation positive group (P=0.012), but was signiifcantly increased in negative group (P=0.0305). Con-clusions In utero exposure to inlfammation does not suppress the response of monocytes to LPS in preterm neonates, but impairs the antigen presenting function in monocytes.

The IS-PCR and Rep-PCR were used to analyze 19 strains of Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae from China,Japan and Philippines.Four specific primers,especially,IS1113 and ERIC could distinguish the strains from different countries.Using UPGMA analysis,most strains were in group 2 and 3.No relationship were observed between UPGMA groups and pathotypes.

mutants which didnt produce red pigmen ts on malt extract agar plate were obtained.The 8 stable mutants were cultured on solid medium.Two samples wer e yellow,the others were white.The extracted samples were scanned in visible len gth.2 yellow samples showed only one absorptive peak at 370nm,the 6 white sample s showed no absorptive peak.The mutants producing only yellow pigments on solid medium were tested in liquid culture.The results indicated their ability to pro duce only yellow pigments were stable.

Two thermotolerant, ethanol-producing yeast cultures: THFY-4 and THFY-16 were isolated from 381 nature samples. THFY-4 can grow on 30% glucose plate at 51 ℃,while THFY-16 can grow on the same medium at 45℃.After preliminary ide ntification, THFY-4 was identified as Kluyveromyces sp. and THFY-16 belon gs to Saccharomyces genus. The ethanol fermentation experiment shows that T HFY-4 can only produce 4.88% (v/v) ethanol from 20% glucose after 60 hours, wh ile THFY-16 can produce 11.44% ethanol under the same condition. When using s accharified Canna edulis Ker wort as fermentation medium, 9.43%(v/v) ethanol we re produced from 16.1% glucose, which is 91.0% of the theoretical yield.