In recent years, the development of molecular biology and medicine has prompted the research of gene therapy for brain diseases. In this review, we summarized the current gene therapy approaches of major brain diseases. Against the pathogenesis of major brain diseases, including brain tumors, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disorders, there are several effective gene therapy strategies. It is no doubt that, gene therapy, as a novel treatment, is of great significance for understanding the causes, as well as comprehensive treatment for brain diseases.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are large super-gene family.It is traditionally thought to be a kind of electrophilic detoxification substance.However,recent research showed that it has a powerful antioxidant role,but its gene polymorphism is also a risk factor of variety diseases.Researches verified that GSTs are widely found in the epithelial tissue in human and eye tissues,such as iris,ciliary,trabecular meshwork,lens,macula and retina.GSTs play strong preventive and treating roles for many oxidative-induced eye diseases,including primary open-angle glaucoma ( POAG),age-related cataract and age-related macular degeneration ( AMD ).The antioxidative mechanism of GSTs to eye diseases is in study.The current researches about the element concept,distributions in eye tissues,gene polymorphism of GSTs and its relationship with eye oxidative damage were reviewed.

Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Digestive System Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; metabolism ; Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Urogenital Neoplasms ; metabolism

By using three-dimensional finite element analysis method, the necessity of tail joints in the establishment of finite model specifically for the widely used tail-suspended rat experiments in weightlessness simulation was explored. A weightlessness tail-suspended three-dimensional finite element rat model was established using CT scan and Abaqus software, and the computation and analysis were conducted using the same model. The stress distribution and displacement in tail, lumbar spine, pelvis and femur of a tail-suspended rat both with and without cartilage were simulated and calculated.The results showed that stress distribution and displacement of tail-suspended rat were quite different between rats with cartilage and without cartilage, which affected the calculation precision of the model. Accordingly the consideration of articular cartilage in establishing the tail-suspended three-dimension finite element rat model is quite necessary,In addition, the asymmetry of pelvis stress distribution of tail-suspended rat suggests that the degree of balance of tail-suspended rat will affect the stress distribution in rats.

Objective To investigate the effect of smoking on large arterial stiffness in patients with essential hypertensive.Methods The aortic,carotid and brachial arterial dimension,intimal-medial thickness were determined by vascular ultrasound technique.Wall cross sectional area and indices of compliance and distensibility were calculated in essential hypertensive patients with smoking(n=75) or without smoking(n=70).Results Hypertensive patients with smoking have increased wall intimal-medial thickness and wall cross sectional area in aortic,carotid and brachial arteries associated with decreased compliance and distensibility.After adjusting for the confounding effects of other variables including Age,BMI,HR,BP,PP,FPG,LDL-C and TG,covariance analysis show smoking remained as predisposed factors for vascular remodeling.Conclusion Smoking aggravates large arterial stiffness in essential hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible effects of meteorological and environmental factors on allergic rhinitis of children. METHOD: Daily numbers of outpatients consulting general practitioners for AR between Jan 1 2007 and Dec 31 2011 were obtained from the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Children Medical Center. Daily maximum, average and minimum temperatures and humidity and wind power for Shanghai of the same 5 years were obtained from the Shanghai Meteorological Office. Air Quality data was provided by the Shanghai Municipal Environmental Protection Monitoring Center on daily SO2, NO2 and PM10, the average of O3 per 8 hours. The data was available as average values derived from the data of 6 state comtrolled monitoring stations distributed across Shanghai. Non-parametric generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the highly non-linear or non-monotonic exposure-response relationship between meteorological and environmental factors and daily outpatient visiting for AR of children. RESULT: The daily numbers of AR children in outpatients department in this study were highest in the average daily temperature 11°C and 21°C. It showed two peak. But as the humidity increased, daily numbers of outpatients of AR children went down, indicating that the higy humidity has protective effect. Every 10 microg/m3 increase of environmental pollutants O3, SO2 and PM10 was linked to 1.95%, 1.19% and 0.33% increase in the number of visitors, respectively, suggesting the air pollution may increase the risk of onset of AR in children. CONCLUSION Meteorological and environmental factors have important effects on AR in children.
Child ; Climate ; Humans ; Humidity ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; etiology ; Temperature ; Weather

Objective To explore the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on expression of apoptotic regulated genes (bcl-2 and c-jun) in hippocampus after status convulsivus (SC). Methods Seizures were induced in 32 adult Wistar rats with lithium-pilocarpine intraperitoneal injection (SC), the other 32 rats were as the normal controls (NC). The rats were sacrificed 6 h after injection of normal saline (NS), BDNF, or anti-BDNF in left lateral ventricle (or no injection). The expression of Bcl-2 and c-Jun protein and bcl-2 and c-jun mRNA were investigated with immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. Results The expression of bcl-2 and c-jun (both protein and mRNA) was not significantly different in the hippocampus of both side in NC. In SC, the expression of bcl-2 ranged from more to less as BDNF>NS and non-injection>anti-BDNF in the hippocampus of non-injected side, while the expression of c-jun reversed. However,there was not significant difference in the expression of bcl-2 or c-jun in the hippocampus of non-injected side. Conclusion Exogenous BDNF can up-regulate the expression of bcl-2 and down-regulate the expression of c-jun in hippocampal cells, which may protect brain from apoptosis after after SC. The intraventricular injection of BDNF diffuses limited, which works less for clinical treatment.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of the DNA integrity of optimized sperm on the embryonic development and clinical outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

METHODSThis study included 605 cycles of conventional IVF-ET for pure oviductal infertility performed from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014. On the day of retrieval, we examined the DNA integrity of the sperm using the sperm chromatin dispersion method. According to the ROC curve and Youden index, we grouped the cycles based on the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) threshold value for predicting implantation failure, early miscarriage, and fertilization failure, followed by analysis of the correlation between DFI and the outcomes of IVF-ET.

RESULTSAccording to the DFI threshold values obtained, the 605 cycles fell into four groups (DFI value < 5%, 5-10%, 10-15%, and ≥ 15%). Statistically significant differences were observed among the four groups in the rates of fertilization, cleavage, high-quality embryo, implantation, clinical pregnancy, early miscarriage, and live birth (P < 0.05), but not in the rates of multiple pregnancy, premature birth, and low birth weight (P > 0.05). DFI was found to be correlated negatively with the rates of fertilization (r = -0.32, P < 0.01), cleavage (r = -0.19, P < 0.01), high-quality embryo (r = -0.40, P < 0.01), clinical pregnancy (r = -0.20, P < 0.01), and live birth (r = -0.09 P = 0.04), positively with the rate of early miscarriage (r = 0.23, P < 0.01), but not with the rates of multiple pregnancy (r = -0.01, P = 0.83), premature birth (r = 0.04, P = 0.54), and low birth weight (r = 0.03, P = 0.62).

CONCLUSIONThe DNA integrity of optimized sperm influences fertilization, embryonic development, early miscarriage, and live birth of IVF-ET, but its correlation with premature birth and low birth weight has to be further studied.

Abortion, Spontaneous ; Chromatin ; ultrastructure ; DNA Fragmentation ; Embryo Implantation ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; ROC Curve ; Spermatozoa ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the values of the sperm deformity index (SDI), acrosome abnormity rate (AAR), and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) of optimized sperm in the prediction of fertilization failure (fertilization rate < 25%) in conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF).

METHODSWe selected 695 cycles of conventional IVF for pure oviductal infertility in this study, including 603 cycles of normal fertilization and 92 cycles of fertilization failure. On the day of oocyte retrieval, we examined sperm morphology, acrosome morphology, and DNA fragmentation using the Diff-Quik, PSA-FITC and SCD methods. We established the joint predictor (JP) by logistic equation and analyzed the values of different parameters in predicting fertilization failure with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

RESULTSThe fertilization rate was negatively correlated with SDI (r = - 0.07; P = 0.03), AAR (r = -0.49; P < 0.01), and DFI (r = -0. 21; P < 0.01). The SDI, AAR, and DFI in the normal fertilization group were 1.24 ± 0.20, (7.75 ± 2.28)%, and (7.87 ± 3.15)%, and those in the fertilization failure group were 1.42 ± 0.15, (12.02 ± 3.06)%, and (13.32 ± 4.13)%, respectively, all with statistically significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.05). SDI, AAR, and DFI were all risk factors of fertilization failure ( OR = 2.68, 14.11, and 3.85; P = 0.01, < 0.01, and < 0.01). The areas under the ROC curves for SDI, AAR, DFI, and JP were 0.651 ± 0.033, 0.895 ± 0.019, 0.789 ± 0.022, and 0.915 ± 0.017, respectively. According to the Youden index, the optimal cut-off values of SDI, AAR, and DFI obtained for the prediction of fertilization failure were approximately 1.45, 10%, and 12%.

CONCLUSIONThe SDI, AAR and DFI of optimized sperm are closely associated with the fertilization rate, and all have the value for predicting fertilization failure in IVF. The AAR is more valuable than the other single predictors, but JP is more effective than the AAR.

Acrosome ; Area Under Curve ; DNA Fragmentation ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro ; methods ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; ROC Curve ; Risk Factors ; Spermatozoa ; abnormalities ; ultrastructure

Objective To evaluate the value of energy spectrum CT with multimodal quantitative parameters in diagnosis of the metastatic lymph nodes of gastric adenocarcinoma compared with the conventional CT.Methods 37 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed by gastroscopy underwent enhanced CT scan with gemstone spectral imaging mode.We positioned and marked the stomach lymph nodes on CT images and compared with postoperative pathologic results one to one.ROC was used to identify the critical quantitative index of energy spectrum CT in distinguishing the metastasis from benign lymph node,and to evaluate the diagnostic effect compared with CT features.Results The 40-80 keV single energy spectrum curve slope (λHU )and normalized iodine concentration (NIC)in metastasis group were lower than those in the benign one in the arterial phase with statistical differences (P <0.05 ),but without statistical differences in venous phase.The combination of arterialλHU and NIC showed significant advantages compared with CT features(P <0.01), with the sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of 84.3% vs 61.4 %,88.4% vs 81.3 % and 86.8% vs 73.6 %.Conclusion The energy spectrum CT can provide quantitative analysis for differential diagnosis of gastric cancer metastasis from benign lymph nodes,and significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy of lymph node metastasis of the cancer.