To examine the effects of heterologous expression of ZrGPD1 (encoding glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase ) cloned from osmotolerant yeast Zygosacharomyces rouxii on glycerol production in wild Pichia farinosa,the URA3 gene was amplified from P. farinosa as the homology integrative region. A recombinant plasmid (pUR-ZG) was constructed then transformed into P. farinosa by electroporation. The transformant pfa-gu was obtained by the selectable marker Zeocin TM . Primary results showed that the biomass of pfa-gu was higher than the wild type in the flask and after 72h fermentation the concentration of glycerol of pfa-gu was 37g/L enhanced 30% in comparison with the wild type. It is concluded that heterologous expression of ZrGPD1 is useful for increasing glycerol production and the ability of osmoregulation in P. farinosa.

A new cadinane-type sesquiterpenoid, pogocablene P (1), and a new natural product with cyclohexanone skeleton, pogocablone A (2), were isolated from the EtOAc soluble fraction of the aerial parts of Pogostemon cablin by several chromatographic methods, such as silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and so on. Their structures were identified by means of mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In addition, the absolute configuration of compound 2 was determined by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation. Furthermore, the anti-influenza virus and anti-inflammatory activities of compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated.

0.05 indicating no statistical difference.However,the noise measurements for the L and C groups were 30.05 and 27.80,respectively,with P

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

Aneurysm ; complications ; therapy ; Cardiac Catheterization ; instrumentation ; Child ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; complications ; therapy ; Humans ; Septal Occluder Device

Acute Disease ; Humans ; Insecticides ; poisoning ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Poisoning ; etiology ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo explore a new strategy for effective and economical anti-virus therapy for HBV infection, we conducted a sequence administration of lamivudine and interferon alpha 1b to evaluate its effects on HBV replication and rebound as well as YMDD mutation induced by lamivudine.

METHODS150 HBV patients having at least 6 months history of infection were assigned randomly into 5 groups. Each group of these patients was either treated with lamivudine, interferon alpha 1b, lamivudine combined with interferon, sequence administration of lamivudine and interferon (sequence group) or no anti-virus therapy (control group) for 12 months. The serum samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18th months and were assayed for ALT, AST, HBeAg, HBV DNA (quantitive PCR) as well as YMDD mutation types by microarray.

RESULTSThe anti-virus replication effects were shown as early as the 3rd month in the sequence group but not in the IFN and control groups. The significant and persistent inhibition effect of it on HBV replication and improvement of liver function was shown. It was more effective than lamivudine or IFN treatments at the end of the drug administration and 6 months later after the drug was withdrawn. We also found that this sequence administration pattern can significantly shorten the period of treatment of lamivudine as well as reduce the rate of YMDD mutation and rebound of HBV replication after lamivudine withdrawal. It is also more economical than a combined therapy of lamivudine with IFN.

CONCLUSIONThis sequence administration of lamivudine and IFN pattern can significantly improve the anti-virus effect on HBV replication, shorten the period of treatment with lamivudine, reduce the mutation rate of YMDD and prevent the rebound of HBV after drug withdrawal.

Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; physiology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Virus Replication ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of -689C/T polymorphism in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 (PPARgamma2) promoter with myocardial infarction (MI).

METHODSThis is a case-control study, which included 194 subjects with MI and 693 subjects without MI in nondiabetic Han population in Wuhan. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to determine the -689C-->T substitution.

RESULTSThe CC,CT, and TT genotype frequencies of -689C/T polymorphism were 88.1%,11.9%,and 0.0 in MI patients and 93.1%,6.6%,and 0.3% in controls, respectively (CC vs. CT+TT, P=0.025). The -689T allele was an independent risk factor for MI (OR=2.125, 95%CI: 1.206-3.744, P=0.009) after adjusting for age,sex,waist circumference,body mass index, smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activities, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, level. The -689T allele carriers had significantly higher TC levels than noncarriers [(5.05+/-1.16) mmol/L vs. (4.78+/-1.05) mmol/L, P=0.004] in the total population.

CONCLUSIONThe PPARgamma2 promoter -689C/T polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of MI.

Adult ; Aged ; Alleles ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; genetics ; PPAR gamma ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate aging-related ionic remodeling of L-type voltage dependent calcium channel (LVDCC) in left atria of canine.

METHODSSeven adult (2.0 - 2.5 years) and 10 aged (> 8 years) dogs were used. The current of LVDCC was recorded by patch clamp technique in the whole cell mode. The action potential duration (APD(90)), amplitude of action potential plateau (APA), I(Ca-L) peak current density of LVDCC were recorded. The mRNA and protein expressions of α1c subunit (Ca(V1.2)), sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SECRA(2)), Calpain-I, ryanodine receptor (RYR(2)) were detected by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively.

RESULTSI(Ca-L) peak current density [(-8.11 ± 0.54) pA/pF vs. (-14.04 ± 0.82) pA/pF, P < 0.05] was significantly reduced and action potential duration to 90% repolarization (APD(90)) significantly prolonged [(340.5 ± 10.1) ms vs. (320.0 ± 7.9) ms, P < 0.05] in aged group than in adult group. The mRNA gene expression level of Ca(V1.2) was significantly lower (0.90 ± 0.35 vs. 2.38 ± 0.40, P < 0.05) while mRNA expression of RYR(2) was significantly higher (4.39 ± 4.68 vs. 1.49 ± 1.69, P < 0.05) in the aged dogs than in the adult dogs. mRNA expression of SECRA(2) and Calpain-I was similar between the two groups. Similarly, the protein expression level of Ca(V1.2) was significantly lower (0.13 ± 0.10 vs. 0.29 ± 0.12, P < 0.05) while the protein expression level of RYR(2) was significantly higher (0.18 ± 0.21 vs. 0.08 ± 0.36, P < 0.05) in the aged dogs than in the adult dogs. Again, protein expression of SECRA(2), PLN(1) and Calpain-I was similar between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONThese data suggest that aging could induce mRNA and protein expression changes of Ca(V1.2) and RYR(2) of LVDCC which might serve as the molecular basis of I(Ca-L) remodeling in aged dogs and might be linked to the increased likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) in aged dogs.

Action Potentials ; Age Factors ; Animals ; Atrial Fibrillation ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; metabolism ; Dogs ; Heart Atria ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; metabolism ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel ; metabolism ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases ; metabolism

Brain Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Nestin ; metabolism ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Temporal Lobe ; Vimentin ; metabolism